CATALYST: Capacity Development for Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation
Description
The session will share and compare preliminary results of the
FP7 CATALYST project 'Capacity Development for Hazard Risk Reduction
and Adaptation' among members of the CATALYST Think Tank and the
European Commission who are attending the GP. A central aim of the
CATALYST is to exchange knowledge and best practices in DRR and CCA
between practitioners and scientists working in Hazard Risk Reduction
and Adaptation, and to build capacity in these areas.
CATALYST does not seek to create new knowledge. Rather, the project explores ways to more effectively assemble, analyse and use the rapidly expanding knowledge base of natural hazards and disasters in order to then provide some guidelines for best practices both before and after such disasters occur.
Together the practitioners and scientists involved in the project form the CATALYST Think Tank who work together to describe the state of the art, and to identify i) existing best practices, ii) new practices that may be transformational in this field, and iii) knowledge gaps and barriers. At the same time, the project serves to strengthen and extend existing networks, and develop new networks especially between those working in DRR and climate change adaptation.
Four best practices papers will outline the transformational practices, the environmental policy implications for DRR and recommendations for four regions of the world: Europe/Mediterranean (droughts, floods,earthquakes); South and Southeast Asia (tropical storms, cyclones, earthquakes); Eastern & Western Africa (floods, droughts, storms) and Central America/Caribbean (hurricanes, tropical storms, drought, earthquakes, tsunami). The primary audiences will be practitioners, policy makers, the public and the media. This document will be released in June.
A best practices policy notebook will be prepared at the conclusion of the project in September 2013, and designed for a wider group
stakeholders and policy makers. It will summarize key results and
recommendations of the project and outline strategies for further
progress in DRR.
Project website: http://www.catalyst-project.eu/
