Skip to main content

Deforestation, urbanisation, unsustainable land use exacerbate climate-related disasters

Sandeep Chachra, Executive Director, ActionAid Association on International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: 
***
On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we should recognise how resilience building is the more forward-thinking and proactive strategy. Enhancing resilience focuses on creating more robust, more adaptable communities and systems, ultimately reducing the impact of disasters and promoting sustainable development.
The greater vulnerability of marginalised populations to disasters has been a long-standing issue, but today, several factors exacerbate the risk they face. Poverty and economic inequality remain pervasive, and the poor often lack the resources necessary to prepare for or recover from disasters.
The habitat of poor communities is mainly in areas with inadequate infrastructure, such as poorly constructed buildings, unreliable utilities, and substandard transportation. When disasters strike, these deficiencies magnify the impact and increase the likelihood of injury or death. They stay in environmentally vulnerable areas, such as floodplains or areas prone to drought, which makes them more susceptible to climate-related disasters. Deforestation, urbanisation, and unsustainable land use practices further exacerbate these vulnerabilities. Discrimination, social exclusion, and lack of access to education can further marginalise poor communities, making it difficult for them to advocate for their needs and rights in disaster response and recovery efforts. The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, driven by climate change, have a disproportionate impact on the vast majorities who are least responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases and destruction of ecological resources.
The resilience-building approach seeks to address these vulnerabilities. Efforts involve poverty reduction, enhancement of sustainable livelihood and income-generating activities, and a comprehensive disaster preparedness and response strategy, which includes a comprehensive framework to compensate for loss and damages caused by climate change and slow and rapid onset disasters. By building resilience, we will be better equipped to face an increasingly complex and uncertain future.

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Grain vs. gasoline: How the global biofuel boom threatens India’s food and water security

By Rajiv Shah  A new report published by the international research and advocacy organization GRAIN has warned that the global resurgence of biofuels is triggering a dangerous dynamic of “more fuel, less food, more land grabs.” Driven by intersecting energy security concerns, geopolitical tensions, and aggressive decarbonization mandates, the expanding agrofuel industry is increasingly pitting corporate energy interests against global food security and indigenous land rights. 
Post a Comment
»

Can free‑living Indian street dogs teach us about how to care for pet dogs?

By Daniel Ramp, Kapil Vishwas Patwardhan, Rosalie Chapple  We give our pet dogs shelter, veterinary care, affection, training and play. We decide when they eat, where they sleep, when they go outside, who they meet, and how they move through the world.
Post a Comment
»

Sikkim governor row: ALIFA asks centre to explain hurried appointment in Ankita Bhandari case

By A Representative   The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) on Saturday expressed “immense pain and outrage” that even after four years and a national uproar, justice has not been fully delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and that a ruling party politician facing allegations has been “gifted a high-ranking constitutional office.” In a statement, ALIFA extended “unflinching solidarity” to Ankita’s parents, who it said are “fighting for justice on the streets of Delhi,” and demanded that pending the CBI inquiry and judicial decision, the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor be subject to “immediate presidential review.”
Post a Comment
»