Recommendations pre-zero-draft post-2015 framework on DRR

Calling for integrated water and wetland management to reduce disaster risk.

A set of recommendations for inclusion in the post-2015 Framework for disaster reduction (HFAII), summarised in this briefing, to ensure that the role of ecosystems, and in particular wetlands and water, are adequately addressed.

Description:
Water-related hazards account for 90% of all hazards, and their frequency and intensity is generally rising. More and more people will experience water scarcity and suffer the impacts of major floods, droughts, storms and water-related diseases. The way in which we use and manage water resources is central to sustainable risk management. Located at the interface of land and water, wetlands are crucial in regulating the water cycle, for instance by reducing peak flood flow, storing excessive precipitation or recharging groundwater, supplying freshwater for irrigation of both domestic and commercial crops, providing important sources of protein such as fish, and serving as a buffer against storms and saltwater intrusion. Ecosystem based approaches offer the flexibility to grow and adapt to changing environments, which makes maintaining and regenerating natural ecosystems often the most (cost-)effective way of reducing risk and sustaining livelihoods. It is important that the role of ecosystems, and in particular wetlands and water, are adequately addressed in the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction.