Status of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in

Climate Change Action Plans

Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand

Background

• 23 state action plans prepared• 19 endorsed by National Steering Committee

on Climate Change• 4 being considered by Expert Committee on

Climate Change• Climate related disasters striking regularly:

Floods in J&K, Assam and Uttarakhand. Cyclone Phailin last year and Hudhud this year

Methodological Framework

• IPCC AR5 regionally differentiated framework of risks (direct and indirect)– Increased riverine, coastal and urban flooding – Increased risk of heat related mortality – Increased risk of drought related water and food

shortage – Distress migration (indirect risk)– Urbanization/concentration of population (indirect

risk)

Methodological Framework• IPCC AR5 also suggests risk mitigation/ adaptation

measures. For each of the risks, e.g. Increased flooding, there are several DRR and adaptation measures suggested.

• Each plan was reviewed from the point of view of whether DRR and adaptation measures to deal with risks have been incorporated comprehensively, partially or not at all

• An opinion, though impressionistic is also formed on which risks have been dealt with adequately

• Plans were also assessed from the point of view of whether foremost principles of adaptation and DRR have been embedded or not

Example of how the methodological framework was usedKey risks Suggested measures Dealt with in State Climate Change Action

Plan

Comprehensively Partially Not dealt with

Increased riverine, coastal and urban flooding

Exposure reduction

Land use planning

Selective relocation

Reduction in vulnerability of lifeline infrastructure services

Construction of monitoring and early warning systems

Methodological Framework• Status of implementation of SAPCC based on

desk reviews and personal communications with key officials in some states

• Limitations: – Assessment of whether risks have been

adequately dealt with or not based purely on desk review of SAPCC text.

– Framework of assessment applied to documents that have been designed sectorally and not as per framework we applied. This may have led to some subjectivity

Increased riverine/ coastal / urban flooding

• Overall assessment: Several measures proposed to deal with risk. This risk appears to have been dealt with adequately in all the plans

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– All states include identifying exposed areas as a

measure 7(88%) comprehensively and 1 (12%) partially– Specific initiatives for implementing the measure

include vulnerability assessments and mapping, detailed land use planning and zoning, identifying specific ecosystems or natural resources that need attention

Increased riverine/ coastal / urban flooding

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– Reduction in vulnerability of lifeline infrastructure services,

Construction of monitoring and early warning systems and Assist vulnerable areas and households adopted by 5 (63%) states comprehensively and 3 (37%) partially

– Specific initiatives for implementing these measures include strengthened implementation of existing schemes such as MGNREGA, building capacities of rural households, creating comprehensive disaster response systems, surveys and studies to bolster disaster preparedness

Increased riverine/ coastal / urban flooding

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– Exposure reduction adopted comprehensively by 50% and

partially by the rest– Specific initiatives included boosting natural defences

through ecosystems restoration, beefing up engineering structures to boost disaster defences, as well as initiatives to create more knowledge as well as awareness.

– Promote economic diversification adopted comprehensively by 25% partially by rest

– Measures such as Land use planning, diversification of livelihoods, selective relocation appeared least popular with most states either addressing them partially and some not at all

Increased riverine/ coastal / urban flooding

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– Promote economic diversification adopted

comprehensively by 25% partially by rest– Specific initiatives mostly included promoting non-farm

rural livelihood options, diversifying farm based income options as well as boosting activities such as ecotourism

– In general, land use planning, diversification of livelihoods, selective relocation appeared least popular with most states either addressing them only partially and some not at all

Measu

res t

o identify exp

osed are

as

Reduction in

vulnerabilit

y of lifelin

e infra

structu

re se

rvice

s

Constructi

on of monito

ring and early

warn

ing syste

ms

Assist

vulnerable are

as and house

holds

Exposu

re re

duction

Land use

planning

Diversify liv

elihoods

Economic

diversifica

tion

Selective re

location

7

5 5 5

4

3 3

2

1

3 3 3

4 4

3

6

4

1

2

4

Measures pursued regarding risk of flooding

Comprehensive Partial No

Increased risk of heat related mortality

• Overall assessment: This particular risk has been poorly dealt with in the plans we reviewed

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– None of the states had comprehensively addressed

any of the mitigative measures– Partial attention paid to heat health warning

systems by 6 (75%)– Little or no attention paid to measures such as

Urban planning to reduce heat islands, Improvement of the built environment, and Development of sustainable cities

Heat health

warn

ing syste

ms

Urban planning to

reduce

heat isla

nds

Impro

vement of t

he build enviro

nment

Development of s

ustainable ci

ties

New work

practi

ces t

o avoid heat stre

ss among outd

oor work

ers

6

1 1 1

2

7 7 7

8

Measures pursued regarding increased risk of heat related mortality

Comprehensive Partial No

Increased risk of drought related water and food shortages

• Overall assessment: Several measures proposed to deal with risk. This risk appears to have been dealt with adequately in all the plans

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– 75% states had addressed water infrastructure and

reservoir development coupled with improved agricultural practices comprehensively

– Specific initiatives included water harvesting, efficient use, recycling, strengthened agriculture extension etc

Increased risk of drought related water and food shortages

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– 63% and 50% of the states proposed initiatives

that comprehensively dealt with Adaptive and integrated water resources management and more efficient use of water

– 38% states had listed comprehensive initiatives dealing with resilient agriculture and the rest partially

– Similar basket of measures proposed to deal with these strategies as mentioned above

Water infrastructure and reservoir development

Improved agricultural prac-tices

Adaptive/integrated water resources management

More efficient use of water Disaster preparedness including early warning

systems and local coping strategies

Diversification of water sources including water

reuse

Resilient agriculture

6 6

5

4

3

2 22 2

3 3

4 4

6

1 1

2

Measures pursued regarding increased risk of drought related water and food shortages

Comprehensive Partial No

Distress migration

• Overall assessment: This risk appears to have been dealt with inadequately

• Details regarding pursuit of specific measures– None of the states had addressed R&R policies

comprehensively– Mitigating migration through livelihood

opportunities in villages addressed comprehensively by 50% and partially by rest

– Specific initiatives included rural development initiatives and utilisation of existing social protection schemes

Mitigating migration through livelihood opportuni-ties in villages

R&R policies

4 4

3

5

Status of measures pursued to deal with distress migration

Comprehensive Partial No

Urbanisation and concentration of population

• Overall assessment: This risk appears to have been dealt with adequately

• Urbanisation and concentration of population– Infrastructure resilience in urban centres

addressed comprehensively by 75% and partially by rest

Additional comments• No discernible pattern on whether foremost

principles of adaptation and DRR have been recognised or not.

• In most cases it appears that there is atleast an implicit recognition of these principles

• It also appears that hard and tangible measures have been proposed explicitly

• Soft measures such as addressing systemic issues of DRR and adaptation are weakly addressed

Existing implementing arrangements

• Most states following a mainstreaming strategy

• Financing of plans through integrating into departmental budgets

• Completion of vulnerability assessment exercises and deployment of resources in these areas through convergence of existing schemes

Existing implementing arrangements

• Technical assistance secured by some states through bilateral or multilateral assistance

• Some states have created state knowledge management centres

• High level coordination committees to provide guidance on implementation created.

Tentative Recommendations• Enhanced institutional arrangements• Enhanced financing for state climate change

action plan implementation– Clarify year on year annual financing targets– Maximise convergence of existing schemes– Include raising of finances as a major function of

enhanced institutional arrangements• Action plans need to be constantly evolved

and updated to address risks and adopt strategies