ecosystems, their services and disaster risk reduction – examples from coastal areas fabrice...

Ecosystems, their Services and Disaster Risk Reduction – Examples from Coastal

Areas

Fabrice Renaud

United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn, Germany

2nd GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Workshop 28-31 August 2012, Bonn

Disasters Impacts on Development Gains

2Source: Ghesquiere &  Mahul (2010): Financial Protection of the State against Natural Disasters: A Primer. Policy Research Working Paper 5429, The World Bank

Disasters Impacts on Development Gains (cont’d)

3Source:  Cummins and Mahul (2009), as quoted in Ghesquiere &  Mahul (2010‘): Financial Protection of the State against Natural Disasters: A Primer . Policy Research Working Paper 5429, The World Bank

Links betweeen disasters and the environment

UNEP & UNISDR (2008)

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Hyogo Framework for Action

World Conference on Disaster Reduction which was held in 2005 in Kobe

5 Priorities for action. Relevant on in our context:• Reduce the underlying risk factors

2 Relevant activities:• Environmental and natural resource management with components

that include:o Sustainable use and management of ecosystems;o Implement integrated environmental and natural resource management

approaches that incorporate disaster risk reduction;o Linking disaster risk reduction with existing climate variability and future

climate change.• Land-use planning and other technical measures with a component on

incorporating disaster risk assessment into rural development planning and management.

Mid-term review of HFA: least progress what in this Priority for Action at the national level

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Ecosystem ServicesSource: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Human Well-being: Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC

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Exposure: Buffering the Populations2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

Following the tsunami, the fact that some ecosystem components had previously been degraded by human interventions was blamed for the damages & losses:• Costal vegetation in general and mangroves in particular• Sand dunes• Sea grasses• Coral reefs

It was assumed that these features would have protected the population by:• Reducing the energy of the waves• Reducing the exposure of the populations (increased distance from

coastline)

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Destruction of Natural Buffers

Specific effects of some ecosystem components are scientifically debated when it comes to the tsunami

Photo by Marcus Kaplan

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Did Natural Features Limit the Impact?

Kathiresan & Rajendra. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Sci 65:601-606

Kerr et al. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Sci 67:539-541

• Performed stepwise regression analysis on data from Kathiresan• Conclusion: vegetation area contributes little to explanation of variation in mortality

Kathiresan & Rajendra. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Sci 67:542

• Did not really address the statistical questions put forward by Kerr et al. but stood by their conclusions

Vermaat & Thampanya. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Sci 69:1-3

• Performed an ANOVA with distance and elevation as covariates• Conclusion: interpretation by Kathiresan and Rajendra holds

Vermaat & Thampanya. Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Sci (in press)

• Erratum Mistake in stats: mortality and property loss were not less behind mangroves

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Some Factors at Play – but much more Research needed

There are many potential factors to consider incl.:• Bathymetry• Topography• Distance of settlement• Coastal vegetation• Impact angle• Distance from epicentre

Chatenouy & Pedduzzi:• Depth of sea floor at 10km• Length of proximal slope• % protection from seagrass• Distance from fault line• % protection from coral

Source: Chatenoux & Peduzzi. Natural Hazards. DOI 10.1007/s11069-006-0015-9

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Earthquake and Tsunami impact in Sendai, Wakabayashi Ward, Arahama District

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23/09/2003 17/04/2011

04/10/2011 29/03/2012

Photo Credit: Tohoku Construction Association . Do not reproduce

Coastal Forests in Sendai

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Photo Credit: Fabrice Renaud/UNU-EHS Do not reproduce

Ecosystem and DRR in the context of the Great East Japan Earthquake

The Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Plan (City of Sendai, 2011)

• Puts some emphasis on the environment• Addresses agricultural issues• “Restore the beautiful coast”• Utilising “costal prevention forests” explicitly

mentioned

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Ecosystem and DRR in the context of the Great East Japan Earthquake

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Source: Sendai City Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Plan (2011)

Devastation in Minamisanriku & plans for relocation

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Some points of reflection

Extreme events affecting Indonesia, Sri Lanka & Japan -> lead to different reconstruction processes & thus development pathways

In all cases, considering ecosystems in the rebuilding process is a “no regrets” solution• Ecosystems might not stop the next tsunami but…• They will mitigate other higher frequency hazards• Provide livelihoods for communities relying on them• Increase recreational/cultural value of the landscape

The use of ecosystems for DRR can also contributes to:• Sustainable development• Reduce cost of (engineered) DRR infrastructure

Further research required to provide adequate advice to policy makers (Renaud, Sudmier-Rieux & Estrella, 2013)

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Application of the SUST Model in the Case of the 2004 Tsunami

Source: Ingram et al. 2006. Post-disaster recovery dilemmas: challenges in balancing short-term and long-term needs for vulnerability reduction. Environmental Science & policy 9:607-613

Data Requirements

Geospatial data are extremely valuable to assess:• The presence/state of coastal ecosystems or their

components such as sand dunes, coastal vegetation, etc.

• Tracking changes in such systems (temporal and spatial dimensions)

• Determining impacts on ecosystems so as to restore ecosystem services as rapidly as possible

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Thank You

UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITYInstitute for Environment and Human

Security(UNU-EHS)

Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10D-53113 Bonn, Germany

Phone: ++ 49 (0) 228 815-0211Fax: ++ 49 (0) 228 815-0299E-Mail: renaud@ehs.unu.edu

www.ehs.unu.edu

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