1. Overview of the Strengthening
Climate Resilience (SCR) Initiative
A “Climate Smart Approach to Disaster Risk Management”
Presented by
Atiq Kainan Ahmed
Regional Climate and Disaster Resilience Specialist
Plan International (Asia Regional Office), Thailand
Email: atiq.ahmed@plan-international.org
National Consultation – Indonesia. Jakarta, 29 Apr, 2010.

2. Strengthening Climate Resilience: A new initiative
• Strengthening Climate Resilience (SCR) is a two year DFID funded programme
that began in October 2009.
• The programme is led by a consortium which includes the Institute of
Development Studies (lead agency), Christian Aid and Plan International.
• Initially, the Strengthening Climate Resilience programme is focusing on 10
countries across 3 regions:
South-East Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines (led by Plan International)
East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan (led by Christian Aid)
South Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka (led by Christian Aid)

3. Generic Goal
• To enhance the ability of governments and civil societies to reduce disaster
losses by strengthening the resilience to current and future disaster risks
and climatic changes.
• To enable the DRM community to become more effective by integrating
existing approaches including climate change adaptation and development
approaches.
• To facilitate the achievement of the two above goals through the
development, field-testing and promotion of a “climate-smart approach to
disaster risk management”.

4. “Climate smart approach to DRM”
• A “climate smart approach to DRM” involves the integration of three
main components:
- Tackling exposure to changing hazards and disaster impacts (i.e. DRR).
- Enhancing adaptive capacity (i.e. CCA)
- Addressing poverty, vulnerability and their causes (i.e. Dev).
• Based on an analysis of existing empirical cases and literature
associated with disasters and development approaches, a framework
is under development which outlines a “climate smart approach to
DRM”. This framework integrates these three components.
• Over the next two years time this framework/approach will be refined
through an iterative process of field testing, feedback through
consultations and in-depth research.

5. Why is a new approach needed?
• Climate change has started to alter the frequency and magnitude of hazard
events and disasters. Subsequently, changed the underlying vulnerabilities of
communities at risk.
• These climatic changes have posed a new challenge for the DRM
community. But, most of the DRM practices currently do not sufficiently
designed to address extreme climatic changes.
• An “integrated approach” is needed to enable current DRM practices to
become more effective and better equipped to deal with present climate
change and further changes that are likely to occur in the future.

6. Hazards and risks are increasing
Vulnerable
Coping range
Vulnerable

7. Need for up-scaling of
Climate resilience is clear Vulnerable
shock
Adaptation
Coping range
Vulnerable

8. “Gradual increase “in
resilience is possible
through a climate smart
Vulnerable
Climate
shock approach
Adaptation
Coping range
Vulnerable
Time

9. Integration to build resilience
• The Strengthening Climate Resilience (SCR) programme seeks to
increase the resilience of communities to disasters, climate change and
the broader causes of poverty and vulnerability.
• As a starting point, it aims to do this by improving the quality, relevance
and suitability of approaches adopted by the DRM community.
• Interventions that consider disasters, development and climate change
dimensions together are expected to enhance the resilience of
communities.

10. “Act Now” to tackle future changes!
In order to be effective, the current practices of DRM
cannot continue without incorporating “futuristic
perspectives of changing climate”.
A “climate smart approach to DRM” is
critically needed
to address the challenges of disasters in a changing and
uncertain climate.

11. Key outputs of SCR in year-one
• A framework outlining “climate smart approach to DRM” will be developed,
field tested and operationalised to inform the development of programmes,
projects and policies across the 3 regions.
• A body of evidence exploring the concept of “climate smart” will be
developed based on existing literature, expert knowledge and selected
empirical case studies.
• A set of summary case studies will be researched exploring the relevance,
use and added value of a „climate smart approach to disaster risk
management‟ from each of our 10 focus countries.
• In-depth case studies drawing on rigorous methodological and analytical
techniques based on literature reviews and field research will be conducted.
• A set of national and regional consultations will be held, bringing together
different communities of practice to explore experiences and share ideas on
how best to achieve a “climate smart approach to DRM”‟.

12. Why should you be interested in SCR?
You can become an active part of:
• the iterative process of developing the “climate smart approach to DRM”
e.g. by participating in consultations, or recommending policies or projects as
case studies for further research.
• the development of an evidence base of “climate smart DRM” approaches
that can inform (to improve) the way people design, implement and monitor
future works.
• The consultations that will provide a space for learning and exchange of
ideas between different communities of practice e.g. between the disasters
and adaptation communities, and between practitioners, policy-makers and
academics.

13. Today’s discussion......
How are
we doing
it?
Climate Change
Adaptation
Where
we are
now?
DRR
What are
the better
Development practices?

14. Key contact for South East Asia
Atiq Kainan Ahmed - Regional
Coordinator for South-East Asia
(Bangkok)
atiq.ahmed@plan-international.org

15. Thanks!