News
Strategic Land Use Reduces Risk

A five-year research project has shown that steering urban development away from hazardous areas is the most promising long-term solution to reducing vulnerabilities. However, lack of coordination between city infrastructures has inevitably put these communities at risk by diminishing the ecosystems that would have increased their resilience to floods and other hazards. Strategic land usage and a broader understanding of urban ecosystems is required in to reduce future risks. Read more about this project here.

To combat the ongoing water scarcity in the Philippines, an integrated risk management approach is being used. Members of the community are being trained to use desalinators which serve the dual functions of water harvesters and salt extractors. Additionally, farmers are slowly diversifying their crops to promote soil fertility, and the planting of trees has improved rainwater retention the soil and started to refill wells. Read more here.

Investing in nature will significantly reduce the impacts of flooding, storms, and wildfires. Mangroves prevent erosion and reduce the force of incoming wind and waves, coral reefs reduce the majority of a wave’s impact that typically damage coastlines; healthy forests reduce the risk of destructive fires. When used in conjunction with gray infrastructure, investing in nature is the most cost effective and resilient approach to disaster risk reduction. Read the full article here.

Tokyo Metropolitan Area is taking significant measures to reduce the risk of flooding. In addition to being located on a floodplain, this area is also vulnerable to “​earthquake ​flooding,” which ​can occur if a ​levee is ​damaged during ​an earthquake. To increase their resilience, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area invested in ​​green and grey ​infrastructure ​such as “disaster parks”. ​Read more here

Project Insights
Using Eco-based Adaptation to Preserve Resources

Vietnam is evaluating a project which focuses on improving knowledge on Eco-based Adaptation activities through training courses. Field trials were launched in vulnerable coastal areas, which combined planting of trees with diversifying agricultural income. These approaches serve the dual purpose of contributing to the local economy and building resilience in coastal areas. Read the full article here.

Upcoming Event
Learning Event on Ecosystem-based DRR

Administrative Assistant, G6
Organization: UN Environment
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Closing Date: 27 February 2018

Capacity and Development Lead
Organization: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Closing Date: 28 February 2018