The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates the need to invest much more in pre-disaster risk reduction and preparedness for a range of risks, including climate change and its accompanying hazards such as flooding. But what, asks Swenja Surminski, does this kind of investment need to consider in practice – and why is ‘resilience’ not already widely taken […]

5 June 2020 is World Environment Day. This year, special focus is given on nature conservation with the theme ‘It’s time for nature’. By deliberately using ecosystem’s services and processes, we can address many of our existing problems, such as climate change and disaster risk. There is a growing pantheon of terminology for these ‘nature-based […]

Bangladesh has battled the twin perils of a super-cyclone and Covid-19. We can offer lessons for others facing similar dangers

Ecosystem-based solutions or eco-solutions help us to deal with societal challenges. Considering only the financial costs and benefits of these solutions is not enough to understand the effectiveness of these ingenious approaches. Before replicating and scaling up, we also need to ensure they meet social and environmental objectives and as a minimum does no harm.

With COVID-19 at the forefront of all of our minds it’s important we don’t forget about the threat of climate change. We must ensure good plans already in place are adhered to, and mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change is integrated into strategies for countries economic and social recovery. We need to build back […]

It is vital that developing countries get the support needed to build resilience to climate change threats as well as the virus. 

Mercy Corps Indonesia is supporting the Indonesian government to enhance resilience to both COVID-19 and recurrent flooding in slum communities in Jakarta. Our experience highlights the importance of programming and messaging that considers concurrent vulnerabilities to multiple threats.

22 MAY 2020 is International Day for Biological Diversity, a day to celebrate the role that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems play in hazard mitigation and particularly flood resilience. Biodiversity based solutions or eco-solutions can help us to deal with challenges, like climate change, disaster risks, and poverty. However considering only the financial costs and benefits […]

A powerful cyclone in the Bay of Bengal could bring potential destruction and danger to life in communities vulnerable to flooding and storm surges, warns Practical Action which is a member of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance (ZFRA).