Strengthening climate resilience through disaster risk reduction: approach in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India - experience and lessons

This paper argues that climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices at a ground level need to be implemented through structural and non-structural measures like constructing protective infrastructure and increasing community capacity, effective planning and making specific investments. As India is highly vulnerable to natural hazards particularly of hydro-meteorological origin, the engagement in DRR and CCA can reduce the vulnerability of people and their resources increasing their resilience to bounce back after the eventualities arising out of such disasters. The paper also suggests that identification of disaster risks entailing understanding of the hazards and vulnerabilities is the primary step in the process of integrating CCA and DRR actions.