Natural hazards and climate change: stakeholder communication and decision‐making processes: An analysis of the outcomes of the 2006 Davos Conference on Disaster Reduction

Abstract

Purpose

Headlines of increasing financial losses caused by natural hazards and the potential impact of climate change on these raise broad interest in risk management. This paper seeks to claim that the existing decision‐making support, for example through spatial planning, can easily integrate risk assessment schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the results of two EU funded research projects and further applications of those – as well as on conclusions drawn from presentations and discussions at the International Disaster Reduction Conference.

Findings

Discussion around risk governance highlights the role of integration. This discussion is still very much in need of further development and successful ways to implement integrative, participatory governance.

Practical implications

The research results presented have been elaborated in close cooperation with stakeholders. One example is based on a commissioned EU task that analyzed the effectiveness of European Regional Fund projects in the case of environmental risks. The other one describes how a town council took a decision which was based on information drawn from a project focusing on climate change adaptation.

Originality/value

The paper describes two examples of successful implementation which make us ask if new approaches are actually required or whether current spatial planning and development practices might be sufficient, when properly applied and fine‐tuned, to respond towards natural hazards and climate change impacts.

Citation

Schmidt‐Thomé, P. and Schmidt‐Thomé, K. (2007), "Natural hazards and climate change: stakeholder communication and decision‐making processes: An analysis of the outcomes of the 2006 Davos Conference on Disaster Reduction", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 329-339. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777830710731770