5. Understanding Risk and Adaptation

But it was also about the you know, the ways how it is communicated like he discussed about the hearing. And how the information is passed on, reading you know, so this whole networks how these NGOs and outsiders you know how, this social capital is social network of hearing is effectively used. So basically the NGOs, how the central persons of the NGOs and as well as you know, some community members how they are also linked with these networks.

The communication of risk involves understanding how information about potential dangers is shared. It highlights the important role that NGOs and community members play in transmitting information effectively. These entities create networks that facilitate the dissemination of knowledge, which can be crucial in times of crisis such as natural disasters.

Imagine a game of telephone where one person whispers a message to another, passing it down a line until it reaches the last person. In this context, NGOs are key players who help ensure that the original message is conveyed accurately to all community members, just like how a good player in telephone makes sure the message remains clear.

If a similar networks, if we have that during the tsunami, 2004 tsunami it took 3 others to reach, the Indian Ocean tsunami to reach the Tamil Nadu, if this similar networks would have implemented we would have saved many lives, we would have saved many losses and we also have discussed about the climate change adaptation so you know, the scale of climate change and what are the challenges between.

This chunk reflects on the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and the lessons that can be learned regarding disaster preparedness. It suggests that had there been existing networks for communication and support in place during that disaster, many lives could have been saved. It also expands into a discussion about the need for better integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation strategies.

Consider a fire drill in a school. If the school has well-established protocols and communication lines for emergencies, students will know how to behave and where to go, which keeps them safe. The tsunami example illustrates that, like a school that practices drills, communities must prepare ahead of time to effectively manage crises.

Why we are unable to integrate, properly integrate the DRR and the climate change adaptation because there are scale mismatches. There are spatial scale challenges, there are knowledge mismatches and there also the temporary challenges and mismatches between norms so like that there are various contexts which we discussed and that is where how different cities are coping up with the climate change.

This section addresses the difficulties in merging disaster risk reduction efforts with climate change adaptation. It identifies several barriers, including differences in scale (local versus global), gaps in understanding among communities, and varying norms or practices that exist between different regions.

Think of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole – this illustrates scale mismatches. Disaster response and climate change adaptation are like that peg and hole; they need to be reshaped to fit into each other effectively. Cities must find common ground to address these issues cohesively.

And this is where we relate to the discussions of climate change and culture you know, in the Regina Lims work of Philippines so where, how the indigenous communities have the knowledge on their sea and their fishing grounds and the impact, what they are seeing and how the foreign fisherman, how they are able to not understand this indigenous knowledge and have not creating a lot of impact.

This chunk explores the relationship between culture, indigenous knowledge, and climate change adaptation. It emphasizes that local communities often possess significant insights about their environment, which can be beneficial for adapting to climate changes. However, this knowledge is sometimes overlooked, particularly by outsiders.

Consider a local chef who knows traditional recipes and ingredients that make a dish special. If someone unfamiliar with the culture attempts to cook without asking, they may miss important flavors or techniques. Similarly, valuing indigenous knowledge in climate adaptation is crucial for successful outcomes.

And this is where we discussed about the frameworks of adaptive built environment which my ongoing work about how to integrate different scales from a larger scale to a building scale and also different time phases, which is the pre-disaster to the future risk, the post-disaster and the future risk and how the vulnerability assessment, how it can be carried by macro, meso and the micro-levels.

This part outlines the frameworks for understanding and implementing adaptation strategies within built environments. It suggests that attention should be paid at various scales – from large urban areas down to individual buildings – and spans different phases of disaster management, including pre-disaster planning and future risk assessments.

Imagine a large city planning its infrastructure to withstand floods. The city must design parks, roads, and buildings while considering both immediate needs and long-term risks. Each component, much like different parts of a machine, must work together to function effectively.

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