1. Disaster Management

2. “Disaster management” (DM) deals with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters. It is one of the core functions of many National Societies: saving lives and assisting people affected by disasters, as well as preparing to respond to future events and reducing people’s vulnerability to expected hazards. Disaster risk reduction, commonly known by its acronym, DRR, is an integral part of DM.
Source: 2

3. the future will be different from the past
One thing is sure:
the future will be different from the past
Due to climate change, National Societies will face disasters of a different nature, as well as more and larger operations. This will add to the demands on their capacities. They may face increased extreme-weather, health risks, diminished food security and water supply, and possibly increased migration and displacement. (See also the science module 1a for more information on changing disaster trends.)
Hurricane Irene from space. (Photo: NASA)
Photo: NASA 3

4. Pressure model Root causes Background pressures Unsafe conditions
Limited access to
Power
Resources
Ideologies:
Political systems
Economic systems
Root
causes
Lack of:
Local institutions
Training
Appropriate skills
Local markets
Press freedom
Macro-forces:
Rapid population change
Deforestation
Declining soil productivity
Background
pressures
Physical:
Dangerous locations
Unprotected buildings etc.
Local economy:
Livelihoods at risk
Low income levels
Social relations:
Special groups at risk
Lack of local institutions
Public actions:
Lack of disaster preparedness
Prevalence of endemic diseases
Unsafe
conditions
Earthquake
Typhoon/
cyclone
Flooding
Volcanic eruption
Landslide
Drought
Virus & pests
Industrial hazards
Hazards
Disaster
Note: Hide/delete this and the next slide if you as facilitator feel uncomfortable explaining the pressure-release model
Climate change is not a completely new or a separate risk, but one additional factor on top of many others that determines the disaster risk in a particular country or community.
A summary of the basic disaster risk reduction theory is the pressure-release model:
Disasters only occur at the meeting point between a hazard and a vulnerable population – but vulnerability has many causal layers
As a simplistic case (see blue bullet points as a guide from the left-hand side):
Among many other challenges and contributions to vulnerability, an economic reality may have helped create or allow unprecedented and uncontrolled logging in mountain areas with no concerns for how forested slopes help prevent major floods.
Denuded slopes may swiftly be eroded and landslides triggered, either by massive rainfall during storms or by earthquakes, and the retention capacity of the watershed be dramatically reduced. The rainwater runoff can be fast and excessive, leading to floods downstream, as experience has shown in the Philippines, Pakistan and elsewhere.
People on the floodplains – or in poorly planned urban areas (and unplanned squatter areas) – are living in increasingly disaster-prone areas. On top of this, they also often live with inadequate warning systems, information and capacity to prepare for flood events. They have become more vulnerable for a range of reasons, some ecological, some political/economical and social.
When this vulnerability meets the external large-scale hazard – for example a major downpour from a typhoon in the Philippines or extreme monsoon in Pakistan – disaster occurs.
The vulnerability has deep social, political and economic roots – and the disaster could in theory be prevented, or the impact alleviated, with proper development, planning, preparation, and political will.
With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of the weather-related hazards – the “volume will be turned up” on the right (hazards) side of the model. While simultaneously other pressures at the side, like urbanization, may increase as well.
Indeed, the majority of climate change impacts will materialise through enhanced climate variability (e.g. heavy rainy seasons) and extreme weather events (e.g. heavy rainfall). Climate change is shifting the frequency and intensity of hazards, such as heavy rainfall, droughts, rising sea-levels, and possibly cyclones, with direct implications for disaster risk (Mitchell & van Aalst 2008).
Risk =
Hazard x
Vulnerability
Adapted from Wisner et al. (2003): At Risk – natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters 4 4

5. Release model Address root causes Reduce pressures Achieve safe
Increase the access of vulnerable groups to
Power structures
Resources
Challenge any Ideology, political or economic system where it causes or increases vulnerability
Address root
causes
Development of
Local institutions
Education
Training
Appropriate skills
Local investments
Local markets
Press freedom
Ethical standards in public life
Reduce
pressures
Protected
environment
Safe locations
Hazard-resistant buildings
Diversification of rural income opportunities
Resilient local economy
Strengthen livelihoods
Increase low incomes
Public actions
Disaster preparedness
Early warning systems
Achieve safe
conditions
Reduce
disaster risk
Reduce
hazards
It is not possible
to prevent the
occurrence of
natural events…
But a range of measures to control certain hazards is possible e.g.:
Flood controls
Shelter breaks to reduce wind force
Reducing the level
of climate change through emission
reductions
Aim for control- led situation
No loss of life
Few casualties
Restricted damage
Food security
For the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement it will not be possible to address all possible root causes or unsafe conditions in a particular region. However, it will be an asset if we know most of the underlying causes which make your project area vulnerable. This can lead to new partnerships with organizations that can address things beyond our capacity. For example, the Red Cross Red Crescent could work together with ecosystem-based organizations to make sure things like logging or water mismanagement will also be addressed in flood-prone project areas.
Adapted from Wisner et al. (2003): At Risk – natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters 5

6. Enhancing existing work – not new programmes!
Photo: NASA
Addressing climate variability and climate change should not be done in a stand alone programme or project. It needs to be considered amongst much of the work we already do. For DM the types of actions we take – such as community-early-warning systems and mobilising networks of volunteers - remain largely the same. However the process to design these actions needs to be different. For example, information we gather may help determine the scale, location and timeframe certain actions occur. What follows are some steps for considering climate and weather information to further enhance your DM work.
Climate lens 6

7. Enhanced decision-making for DM
Step 1:
Collect general background information
Step 2:
Based on the information you gather: prioritise
Step 3:
Turning planning into action
Let’s explore each step!
Step 4:
Evaluation – revisit plans 7

8. See also module 2a Assessments and partnerships
Step 1:
Collect general background information
Know what you are dealing with
Understand your country’s climate
And the changing risks it faces
See also module 2a Assessments and partnerships
As an important first step, we believe it is good to work (with partners) on a climate assessment for your country, considering both climate change and climate variability (see module 2a on risk assessment).
This may include information on what might be changing already, anecdotes collected from staff, volunteers (for example, floods in new areas that we are not yet prepared for) and communities during Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments.
For more information on how to write climate-risk assessments, you can have a look at Module 2a of this kit.
The global map on this slide is 1970–79 temperature anomaly (different from the normal). (Source: NASA) 8

9. See module 2b Using forecast information’
Enhancing our work with
available information
Short lead-times
Middle lead-times
Long lead-time
Climate change will likely bring increased extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, and gradual changes to the climate such as sea level rise. For most DM staff, dealing with extreme weather events will seem much more pressing compared to the gradual changes over time. Climate risk management is a combination of dealing with both long-term changes and extreme events and using information about these to enhance our decision making and responses.
We often have information ahead of time of an upcoming disaster event (short lead times, days) or for an unusually hot, dry or wet season (middle lead-times measured in months), which can help improve our response, but also reduce the risk of a disaster. We also believe climate change projections are the longest lead-time warning we have ever had (long lead-times in decades). It can help us prioritize and plan.
See module 2b Using forecast information’

10. Enhancing the use of early-warning information
Photo: Alex Wynter/Netherlands Red Cross
Enhancing the use of early-warning information
With climate change, people may find they can no longer read the weather or recognise hazards
This creates a need to use weather forecasts better at the National Society level
And also for communicating forecasts and projections to communities at risk and ensuring that people understand forecasts (that they deal in probability, not certainty), and have plans in place to act on them
As part of your step 1, you can strengthen your ties with your national Meteorological Office and work out a structural cooperation with them. This could enable you to react to any kind of weather and seasonal forecast warnings in time.
As the climate changes, people may find that they can no longer read the weather or recognize hazards as they used to. This creates an additional need to use weather forecasts better – at the National Society level, but also by communicating them to communities at risk and ensuring that people really understand and know how to act upon information as well as what motivates people to take pre-emptive action. Be mindful of the chain of efficient early warning: knowledge of the risks, monitoring and warning services, dissemination and communication, response capability of people at risk. Climate change does not really alter the way a National Society should organize such chains. But it does increase the importance of such activities in the face of rising uncertainties about the weather.
Make sure you are aware of such information for your country. The national met and DM offices are good starting points, and the Climate Centre can also help you identify respected institutes for your region. At the global level, the International Federation’s Disaster Management Information System also provides a number of monitoring tools and links.
The picture shows Jose Zuniga, head of early warning with the Colombian Red Cross department of La Guajira, checking the latest weather on satellite and radar internet-projections in his office. (Photo: NLRC)
See also module
‘2b Using forecast information’ 10

11. Community Assessments
Many National Societies consider how climate and weather-related hazards affect communities using the Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA).
Climate change should be considered amongst the many factors that affect risk – and addressed in the VCA and ‘community risk reduction plans’
Use the community assessments to inform disaster management planning
Photos: Danish Red Cross
The first people to respond to disasters are the community people themselves. They already have existing knowledge of how weather and climate affects them. As you can see in the Community Climate Risk module, VCAs can easily extract information on climate risks, and help to stimulate relevant discussions with community members about possible solutions to those risks. Feeding this information on climate risks, and community level solutions into Disaster Management planning is important.
If you like to learn more about how to consider climate risks into the VCA, please read our guidance note in relevant reading section of the Community Climate Risk module (2d).
See module ‘2d: community climate risk’ 11 11

12. Who? What? When? Where? Step 2:
Based on the information you gather: Prioritise
EXAMPLE
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Children affected by diarrhoea in droughts
Floods hit area for the first time
Dengue season lengthens
Information gathered on what is changing where and what weather and climate risks a location faces, can be used when examining disaster management plans and strategies. These can even be utilised as additional questions when going through the ‘Well prepared National Society’ process. Examples include:
-Are you prepared for the disasters that are expected? Eg. More intense floods
Are you prepared for them in all parts of the country? Eg. floods in new areas
Are you focusing on the most vulnerable groups? Eg. those who haven’t been exposed to floods in new areas
Are you aware of new diseases and health risks that may arise during disasters? (see also 2.e health module) Eg. Increased casualties amongst elderly during heatwaves
Are you aware of new threats to food security? Eg. growing areas affected by drought
Are you aware of new potential conflicts, for instance due to increasing pressure on natural resources? Eg. Reduced water availability
You might like to discuss these questions in planning meetings. You could even use the ´early warning early action´ scenario exercise in those meetings to consider trends occurring in your country.
For example, if floods are increasing in intensity, or affecting new areas, you could ask: what do we already do to address this? What might we need to be doing more, differently or better?
Are you making use of short-term weather forecasts, seasonal rainfall forecasts (where appropriate), and long term climate change projections? (See the early warning early action module on how to do this)
Are you including climate change risks in training activities? For example in inductions for volunteers, for disaster management trainings, so that people are aware of climate change impacts and possible solutions.
Are you informing communities about the changing risks and are you considering them in preparedness programmes? Communities themselves may have their own experiences on the nature of what is changing, but be careful not to blame everything on climate change, remember there are many factors that cause change.
Cyclones reach further south 12

13. Timely preparedness activities and new awareness messages
Step 2:
Example: Re-prioritising
Netherlands case:
More intense heat waves
Very likely to become worse
heat waves triggered action - Ministry of Health and the Netherlands Red Cross: ‘National heat wave and cold spell plan’
Structural collaboration with Met office, Ministry, Red Cross and other organizations to spread heat wave warnings in advance.
On the national level, talks were initiated in the Netherlands with the Ministry of Health and Environment Planning Organization RIVM to work towards a countrywide heatwave plan.
The start to the dialogues did not come easily: despite the extremely hot summer of 2003 severe heat was still hardly considered a threat. Even when an agreement was eventually reached on developing a heatwave and cold spell plan, there was little sense of urgency. Until the heatwaves of 2006 occurred, one of which lasted sixteen consecutive days – completely changing the attitudes of decision makers, and it was quickly decided to organize a ‘national conference’ on the matter. The Netherlands Red Cross organized the conference.
Before the end of the year this resulted in a national heatwave and cold spell plan for the country.
Both the awareness and heatwave projects were finalized in December Because of the enthusiasm of the local branches that started climate related activities and the success of the national heatwave conference, it was decided that the Netherlands Red Cross would continue the heatwave project. Elements of the heatwave plan were presented to the Members of Parliament.
The plan resulted from good cooperation between the Ministry of Health, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Royal Dutch Meteorological Office (KNMI), the Netherlands Association of Community Health Services (GGD) and the Netherlands Red Cross.
It targets those people who are most vulnerable to extreme heat and describes the tasks and roles of different parties involved, such as health services, general practitioners, nursing homes and volunteer organizations.
Parts of the plan are a heat health warning system for these parties and for the population at large, guidelines for volunteers and a sticker with key messages on ‘what to do’ when temperatures rise – most importantly:
drink sufficiently, two litres a day, even if you are not thirsty; water is best, alcohol is to be avoided;
avoid strenuous activity, in particular between 12 and 4pm (the hottest time of the day);
stay out of the heat, at least during the hottest hours, wear a hat, sunglasses and light clothes;
keep cool, for instance by putting a wet towel in your neck, taking a cool shower or bath, lowering sunshades or closing curtains in sunny rooms, closing windows when it is warmer outside than inside;
look after each other, help elderly or sick people follow this advice. 
The sticker mentions a phone number for people wishing to obtain further information or advice. 
Timely preparedness activities and new awareness messages 13

14. and weather information with different lead times
1.Preparedness for response
Step 3: Turning planning into Action
climate
and weather information with different lead times
4.Recovery
2.Disaster Risk Reduction
Many Disaster Management interventions could benefit from the use of climate and weather information. This information might include information relating to climate change, such as changing trends in rainfall, and also climate variability, such as the El Nino/La Nina phenomenon. We will walk through some of them in the next slides.
3.Food Security

15. 1. Enhancing preparedness for response
Step 3: Actions!
1. Enhancing preparedness for response
Accounting for new and rising risks due to climate change, for example:
Contingency planning including climate and weather information
Reviewing location and number of warehouses with response and relief item stocks
Mobilisation and training of a sufficiently large volunteer base ready to assist in impending disasters
Other potential actions?
When it comes to ‘preparedness for response’, the following actions are very relevant:
Contingency planning: eg can your Meteorological office send you automatic updates on how long the intense rainfall or drought is likely to last? What preparedness could be taken based on certain scenarios – such as information that an El Nino event is occurring? Does your contingency plan contain such elements?
If you get a warning for extreme weather in the coming days, there is no chance to reposition stocks. If you get a warning over a longer period of time (seasonal warning) could you still supply warehouses in the likely affected areas with enough stock? Will you mobilize your volunteers ahead of time in those areas and can they warn vulnerable people who have no access to this warning? Which other actions could you think of, ahead of time? (evacuations based on early warnings, radio warnings, set up of a whistle warning system run by volunteers in remote areas, etc)
On a longer time scale: would the National Society (and Government partners) need to reconsider if warehouses are in safe locations even for unprecedented extreme events?
Photos: Danish Red Cross 15

16. Preparedness activities in expanded area
Examples of preparedness for response
Bangladesh case:
Cyclone tracks reaching into new areas
Affecting people that are unprepared & unexperienced
Cyclones likely to get more intense
Bangladesh Red Crescent is expanding its famous Cyclone Preparedness Programme into new areas.
Larger numbers of people trained
Larger areas of government cyclone related coordination
Source: NASA
Many good strategies for climate change adaptation are indistinguishable from conventional risk management: if you take a photo of a Flood Shelter, you can’t tell whether the building is for conventional disaster preparedness or for adaptation to climate change. The important difference is not so much in the outputs of Red Cross/Red Crescent work, but rather in the process, to take new risks into account.
Photo: IFRC
Preparedness activities in expanded area

17. DRR central in CCA – by addressing current risks
Step 3: Actions!
2. Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction
Long-term adjustment to changing average climate conditions (incl. benefits)
adaptation to climate change
adaptation to climate change
Climate risk management
(including weather extremes)
Risk management of geophysical (and industrial/man-made) hazards
disaster risk reduction
DRR central in CCA – by addressing current risks
Disaster Risk Reduction has been identified in international climate negotiations as a vehicle for climate change adaptation. This means there is a lot of overlap between the two approaches. To fully understand the nature of the similarities and differences between the two terms, we have prepared a separate note and PowerPoint. You can decide to tap into those products or to keep the discussion short and use the summary on this slide.
This diagram illustrates that there is a broad area of overlap in the fields of DRR and CCA, although some fundamental differences remain.
The main difference is that DRR addresses geo-physical hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes – and man-made hazards (including conflict, traffic accidents and, possibly, industrial/pollution) while climate change adaptation doesn’t.
On the other hand, CCA tends to focus on long term changes to average conditions such as temperature and sea level rise – and the associated risks (e.g. sea level rise may cause flooding, erosion and salt intrusion into low-lying areas, glacier melt may change water availability on medium to long time scales) as well as benefits (e.g. new crop types may be cultivated in some areas). DRR however tends to be more focused on extreme weather events.
The main overlap between the two is the management of hydro-meteorological hazards.
And this large overlap – Climate Risk Management – is what the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement already has a vast experience in.
So the well-known approaches and tools of ‘traditional DRR’, including the VCA (see separate module 2d) and practical early warning systems, flood prevention measures and protecting wells etc. mainly need to be a little better planned, designed and placed – and make better use of weather/climate information – in order to also become ‘climate-smart DRR’. And they need to be scaled-up to reach more communities affected by increasing climate risk.
disaster risk reduction
Based on Mitchell & van Aalst 2008
Photos: Danish Red Cross 17 17

18. Examples of Disaster Risk Reduction
Colombian Red Cross addressing coastal erosion and building a new village
Photo: Netherlands Red Cross
Daili Rodriguez, a volunteer with the Colombian Red Cross, examines coastal erosion on the road to the new village of San Tropel, built under Colombian Red Cross supervision to house Wayuu indigenous people displaced by coastal erosion.
(Photo: NLRC)
Photos: Danish Red Cross 18

19. Enhancing food security
Step 3: Actions
Enhancing food security
Photo: Alex Wynter/Netherlands Red Cross
Take into account the way climate change may affect seasonality of crops and rainfall events
Solutions might include crops that tolerate droughts and floods, better soil-management, rainwater harvesting
Photo: Danish Red CRoss
To incorporate early warning:
Draw on climate information
Seek advice from agricultural-extension services and specialist NGOs
Climate change effects people’s livelihoods and food security, by changes in temperature and rainfall patterns or through changes in extremes. Many National Societies are reporting that communities are noticing changes to the plants they rely upon for their food security or livelihoods. For example, Solomon Islands coastal communities have expressed concern over ongoing shortened seasons of tree crops. If the expertise doesn’t exist in the National Society, you can draw upon external expertise and link communities to it. 19

20. Example: options for adaptation in food security
Kenya Red Cross: climate-smart crop diversification
Maize
Cassava
In Kenya’s Machakos district, farmers have seen repeated failed maize crops over the years because rains are variable. To adapt, the Kenya Red Cross has subsidized cassava seedlings for these farmers so they can diversify their planting strategies. Now, many farmers are planting both cassava and maize, and can harvest cassava whether or not there is enough water for the maize to grow. In addition, the Red Cross helped farmers’ cooperatives purchase equipment to process and sell cassava.
This is an example of a “no-regrets” adaptation option, because having a diversity of crops is likely to benefit the farmers no matter what rainfall they receive. In relation to climate change, a riskier adaptation option could be to switch to an entirely new crop because it might be better suited for a future climate. This carries the risk that the crop will not turn out to be the best choice in the future climate, and will not deliver benefits in the short-term. Instead, it makes sense to select for a broader crop tolerance, instead of introducing varieties need climate change to survive.

21. Enhancing recovery Don’t rebuild risk…
Safe areas need to be identified before rebuilding or relocation, like shelters on high ground in coastal areas prone to flooding
Photos: Danish Red Cross
In the post-disaster recovery there are huge opportunities for “building back safer”. Collaboration with land-use planners and climate scientists may help identify safer areas than those devastated by the recent disaster. Site selection must be based not only on the recent history of disaster but also trends and long-term forecasts for rising sea-levels as well as rainfall and floods.
Such land-use planning may be controversial. But rebuilding without considering scenarios for future risks should not be an option. 21

22. Example: Recovery Haiti forecast page:
Haitians affected by the 2010 quake were later at risk from hurricanes
A special monitoring page was created to assist the recovery operations
Even amidst disaster response and recovery operations, there is a continuous need to monitor imminent threats – and for recovery and rehabilitation programmes to consider the long-term opportunities to build back safer, including from the perspective of managing climate risk.
This example is an inter-agency early warning early action website for Haiti, set up after the earthquake in 2010 and based on the IFRC partnership with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Colombia University. 22

23. Enhancing and developing partnerships
Cooperation with governments and other actors on:
Using climate trends and shorter term forecast information in appeals before, during and after a disaster
Providing feedback to climate and weather information providers on the usability of information
Enhancing awareness-raising among vulnerable groups using volunteer networks
Capture local information about community perceptions of changes that are taking place
Incorporating climate-related elements into regular DM trainings for staff and volunteers.
Photos: Danish Red Cross
Cooperation with government departments and other actors can be on:
Using climate trends and forecast information in Red Cross Red Crescent appeals before, during and after a disaster
Enhancing awareness-raising among vulnerable groups using existing volunteer networks
Capturing local information about community perceptions of changes that are taking place
Incorporating climate change into regular DM trainings for staff and volunteers.
It is important to explain how the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement reaches the most vulnerable people. This can be done through advocacy, but also working together with other partners is a way to explain your approach and to achieve a larger impact.
Cooperation with governments and other actors; appeals before, during and after a disaster. (See also the module on advocacy and policy dialogue.) Climate change trends, as well as forecast information can be included in disaster appeals. It demonstrates that we are effectively utilising information at hand for decision making and preparedness to save lives and reduce injury.
Enhancing awareness-raising among vulnerable groups. You can use existing networks of volunteers for example to raise awareness about new and rising risks, and more positively, what can be done to reduce the impacts. Methods can include drama, school programmes and media. (See the communications module also.)
Capture local information about community perceptions of changes that are taking place. This can be a useful planning tool, particularly in areas where scientific data and analyses are scarce and of poor quality. Anecdotes from communities that match measured trends can also be strong and very touching stories to relay to governments to highlight the need for community risk reduction in the face of a changing climate
Incorporating climate change into regular DM trainings for staff and volunteers. You might be able to adjust some of the presentations in this training kit to suit your local context. 23

24. New and better partnerships with...
Government agencies and decision- makers
Knowledge centres like meteorological offices and universities
NGOs, UN agencies, donors and the private sector.
Examples of organizational partnerships mentioned in the previous slide. 24 24

25. In all cases, avoid maladaptation
Climate models cannot predict the conditions at a certain location many years from now:
So there is a risk of maladaptation – choosing the wrong measures to adapt
Seek to build a general resilience that does not depend too much on detailed climate projections, but contributes to risk reduction and sustainable development no matter how the weather patterns change.
No-regrets
adaptation
Downscaled climate models are generally not precise and can’t give you an exact picture of what the climate in a given location will be in decades to come. They may be able to give a flavour of conditions, and some projections are more certain than others. For example temperatures are very likely to keep rising. Extreme rainfall events are likely to come more often, especially in the tropics because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. Some places, however, may have a wide range of possible rainfall scenarios in the future (it may get wetter or drier).
In addition, in some areas there may be very large variation in climate and weather over years and decades that are more apparent and important than the very long-term climate change projections. For example, some parts of Africa experience periods of dry and wet over a period of decades, only looking at long term projections will ignore the shorter term variability that occurs.
Therefore, there is a risk of maladaptation.
Support interventions that makes sense no matter how the climate might develop.
No- or low-regrets measures will be of use regardless of how climate change plays out. In many locations, there is high uncertainty about the precise changes that global climate change will cause in local weather. Here measures that focus on strengthening overall resilience and reducing vulnerability should be considered. They may not necessarily be targeted at a specific hazard, but they help increase resilience to shocks at large, by strengthening livelihoods and capacities, for example.
Low-regrets
adaptation
High-regrets
adaptation
Low impact of
uncertainty in
climate predictions
High impact of
uncertainty in
climate predictions 25 25

26. Evaluation – revisit plans
Step 4:
Evaluation – revisit plans
Considering changing risks in steps 1, 2 and 3 is not a one-off process. It should be reassessed regularly by asking:
Have new and/or unusual disasters been occurring?
New diseases?
New conflicts?
How has the National Society dealt with them?
Any need to update plans, start new activities, recruit more volunteers?
Document success stories in dealing with changing risks. The more we share with each other the better!
Reassessing changing risks could be done for example annually.
You can document success stories in dealing with changing risk. Tthe more examples are shared and replicated, the faster we will be able to expand our coverage in dealing effectively with the changing risks. 26 26

27. Monitoring and documenting impact
Step 4:
Monitoring and documenting impact
Include indicators to verify DM programmes are climate-smart and contribute to adaptation:
Are standard operating procedures and contingency plans adjusted to monitor seasonal forecasts and react to them?
Are there plans to ensure emergency infrastructure and stocks are positioned in safe locations?
Do community risk reduction plans take account of observed changes?
Are at-risk communities protected by early-warning systems?
Other examples?
In line with IFRC ‘Project/programme monitoring and evaluation (M&E) guide’ 2011.
See
Ensure there are relevant parameters and baseline data to verify that DM and DRR programmes are being adjusted properly to handle a changing climate.
There is no fixed list of climate indicators. But the design of any program plan and/or logframe needs to pay due attention to specific indicators that can help gauge if the efforts lead to more climate smart planning and behaviour.
A key point is to document the final impact and share best practices to stimulate scaling up. Please visit the Communications module 3b for more guidance on communication. 27 27

28. Checklist
Assess your National Society DM plans in the light of climate information and establish priorities:
What needs to be done differently?
Where do we want to focus?
The picture shows a sea-level warning mast in the village of Tasajera, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, installed by Colombian Red Cross volunteers as part a DRR project.
Tasajera and other villages are exposed to storm surges from the sea and floods originating inland as rivers. The mast pictured is painted in standard traffic-light colours of red, yellow and green, giving villagers a clear idea of what to do when a seaborne disaster threatens; the precise levels for the painted bands were initially established by environmental experts from the local authorities. Red means evacuate – to designated sites.
(Photo: NLRC)
Photo: Alex Wynter/Netherlands Red Cross 28

29. Our key message:
Information about climate and weather can reinforce preparedness and make operations more effective
Photo: IFRC
Incorporating climate variability and change into DM planning is not – and should not be considered – an additional burden. It is a chance to heed early warnings and make use of relevant forecast information to improve Red Cross Red Crescent disaster management and reduce risk at all levels. Don’t miss it! 29