IRIN: IPCC and meteorologists to help with humanitarian climate change DRR

Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced it would start working on a "how to" manual (expected in 2011) for policy-makers and disaster officials on managing the risks of extreme weather events and bolstering resilience, to promote adaptation to global warming, IRIN reported.

The IPCC's special report would help agencies like IFRC, which are trying to draw up plans to help communities prepare for extreme weather events, especially in areas where climate change forecasts are uncertain.

At last disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption are being studied together (see in this regard a report by Mitchell and van Aalst), and it is being acknowledged that DRR plays an important role as a 'first line of defence', a first step towards longer-term adaption.

IRIN also reported on the successful co-operation between the IFRC and meteorological services in predicting natural disasters occurring. This allows specialised teams to get in place before the disaster happens, gaining valuable time in making disaster responses more effective.