The ESPREssO Action Database: Collecting and assessing measures for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

The Action Database (ADB) was developed during the ESPREssO project (Enhancing Synergies for Disaster Prevention in the European Union) in order to store and analyze relevant ideas emerging during the project to deal with the challenges. The major aim of the ESPREssO-ADB tool, and its main innovation, is to deal with multi-hazard and multi-challenge actions, in an international context and notably in a cross-border initiative. The ESPREssO project aimed at contributing to a new strategic vision on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in Europe.

Some possible solutions identified from the ADB to overcome the challenge of integrating CCA and DRR are:

1. CCA and DRR can be linked through a cross-sectoral, multi-scale and integrative approach and could be mainstreamed into other activities on sustainable development.
2. Multidisciplinary working groups within organisations and ministries can develop a coherent set of norms and goals for CCA and DRR.
3. DRR standards and laws can be revised to respect their enhancement of long-term sustainability and taking into account climate change relevant issues.
4. Relevant local stakeholders can be engaged in national decision making through stakeholder forums.
5. The clear identification of overlaps between CCA and DRR will allow resources to be allocated efficiently and reduce duplication of work, thus reducing strain on local resources
6. Eco-system based approaches provide a low regrets option for CCA as they present immediate benefits as well as adaptation to a range of climate change futures;
7. The observation network can be developed to increase knowledge on the local effect of climate change and to complement the information provided by existing monitoring systems.
8. Best practice examples can be identified for fostering the coherence between CCA and DRR actions.