Greening disaster risk: issues at the interface of disaster risk management and low carbon development

SCR discussion paper 3:

This paper explores the links between disaster risk management (DRM) and the consideration of climate change mitigation and low carbon development aspects and thereby sheds light on a new and emerging research and development agenda. It elaborates the carbon and greenhouse gas implications of DRM interventions and post-disaster reconstruction practices, drawing on case studies from flood risk reduction, coastal protection and drought risk reduction and considers how post-disaster housing and energy supply reconstruction can be 'greened'.

Finally, the paper makes suggestions about how the carbon implications of DRM measures could be accounted for in a coherent manner. Suggestions include calculating the carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from DRM and post-disasters interventions as parts of Environmental Impact Assessments and improving the linkages between environmental ministries, energy ministries and disasters ministries.