DisasterRiskReductionAnEcosystemServicesApproach.doc

Ecosystems and Disaster Risk Reduction: Working Paper in Contribution to the Global Assessment Report Prepared by United Nations Environment Programme and Stockholm Resilience Center 28 September 2008 WORKING DRAFT V1.0 Note: This is a draft working paper and is currently being refined by authors and is expected to be substantially revised as a stand-alone paper. The present version nevertheless establishes the basis for understanding the role of ecosystems services for risk reduction. It is not intended for circulation beyond the GAR editorial team in its current form. Please direct any questions to the following group: glenn.dolcemascolo@unep.ch, Anantha.Duraiappah@ , Renate.Fleiner@ , garry.peterson@mcgill.ca , jen.stephens@unep.ch, 1. Overview and Summary 2 1.1 Key Questions 2 1.2 Disaster, Poverty and Ecosystems 3 1.3 What are ecosystems and ecosystems services? 3 2. Ecosystems and Disaster Risk Reduction 5 2.1 Risk Reduction and Resilience Services 5 2.2 Case study in Exposure: Wetlands and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 6 2.3 Case Study in Resilience: Dealing with drought in Tanzania 6 2.4 Lessons learned 8 2.5 Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptive Management 9 2.5.6 Coping with Change 12 Growth 13 2.6 Ecosystems and Disaster Risk Reduction: Summary Conclusions 14 3. Valuing Ecosystem Services for Risk Reduction 15 3.1 Restoration Costs (RC) 16 3.2 Opportunity Costs 19 3.3 Avoided Damages 19 3.4 Co-Benefits 20 3.5 Summary Conclusions 21 4. Well-being and the Distribution of Multiple Benefits 21 4.1 Disasters and Well being. 22 4.1.1 Material wealth - most commonly affected by major natural hazards 22 4.1.2 Security at stake due to inaction 22 4.1.3 Health at risk due to flooding 23 4.1.4 Social relations exacerbated by environmental degradation 23 4.1.5 Freedom of choice and action at risk by climate change impacts 24 4.2 Summary Conclusions 24 5. Conclusions 24 Overview and Summary In 2009, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (I