134. A particularly important aspect of adaptation is resilience: the ability to cope with climate change and natural disasters, in particular those associated with droughts, sea-level rise, increased temperatures and extreme weather events. Disaster risk reduction is about much more than just emergency management — on the contrary, to be fully effective it must be integrated into all sectors of development and cover both measures to avoid disasters and measures to mitigate damage when they do occur. This is especially critical among the most vulnerable, such as those in Africa, the small island developing States, the least developed countries and the landlocked developing countries.

135. Global attention to disaster risk reduction has risen steadily in recent years. The Hyogo Framework for Action on disaster risk reduction is an especially important landmark in efforts to assist nations and communities in becoming more resilient to disasters and in better coping with hazards that threaten development. The vast majority (97 per cent) of extensive disaster loss reports are weather- related. While death totals have declined significantly compared with the trend of an increasing population, the economic costs have generally risen, reaching an annual figure of over $200 billion, with the highest cost in 2005 (the year of Hurricane Katrina). The World Meteorological Organization Global Framework for Climate Services shows promise as an example of a new tool in development to address the shortage of quantitative, regularly updated assessments of climate-related risks.

Recommendation 24
136. Governments should develop and implement policies to manage the economic and social impacts of transition and enhance resilience — in particular through targeted social protection programmes and policies and by scaling up humanitarian capacities to deal with increasing environmental stress and potential shocks, where appropriate.

Recommendation 25
137. Governments and international organizations should accelerate efforts to produce regional exposure and vulnerability assessments and appropriate precautionary strategies to prevent adverse impacts on social and natural systems that are fully focused on people’s needs, with priority accorded to the special needs of Africa, small island developing States, least developed countries and landlocked developing countries.

Recommendation 26
138. Governments and international organizations should increase the resources allocated to adaptation and disaster risk reduction and integrate resilience planning into their development budgets and strategies.