Florence Poulain Fisheries and Aquaculture Department FAO florence.poulain@fao

1. Reducing vulnerability of fishers, fish farmers and their communities to disasters and climate change impacts Florence Poulain Fisheries and Aquaculture Department FAO florence.poulain@fao.org

2. Key Messages • The contribution that fisheries makes to communities and countries is threatened by the increasing vulnerability of the people involved in the sector to hazards/disasters. • The increased interconnectedness between hazards and climate change suggest that disaster risk management and climate change adaptation need to be integrated into a combined strategy , particularly at the land/water interface. • This suggests that DRM & CCA need to be incorporated into fisheries policies and plans; and fisheries into DRM and CCA strategies and plans.

3. Significance of the sector • Fish is a major source of nutrition and high-quality animal protein – supplying over 4 billion people with at least 15% of their average protein intake • They are a major source of employment to both men and women - 50 % of ancillary workers are women • Fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of about 540 million (8% of the world population) • They contribute significantly to national economies

4. Significance of the sector Shoreline protection Building materials Food and water A means of social interaction Medicines Tradable products A means of exchange Fuelwood A means of transport Cultural significance

5. Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters • Fishers, fish farmers and their communities are often some of the most vulnerable communities to hazards/disasters. This is due to: • Exposure: Location • Livelihoods activities • Poverty • Limited access to social services • Low levels of education • Inadequate organisational structures

6. Disasters & Disaster types Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources (UNISDR) • Storms, cyclones/hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts, floods and landslides • Oil spills and nuclear/radiological material • Food and nutrition security, post conflict, HIV/AIDS, aquatic animal diseases

7. Impact on the sector • In addition to the tragic loss of life, the effects of disasters on the fisheries sector can be • the loss of livelihood assets such as boats, gear, cages, aquaculture ponds and broodstock, post harvest and processing facilities and landing sites. • Damage caused by disasters can have impact social and economical impacts throughout and well beyond the sector (such as reduced employment, food availability for example).

9. Nearly 80% of disasters caused by natural hazards are weather or climate related. • These hazards will change in frequency, intensity, spatial extent and duration as a result of changing climate • Changes in weather and climate extremes, and related impacts, pose new challenges Source: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report And IPCC Special Report : Managing the Risk of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation

10. Reducing the effects of disasters through Disaster Risk Management Reducing vulnerabilities: • Risk assessment • Prevention and mitigation • Preparedness • Early warning Emergency response: • Impact and immediate needs assessment • Relief, or emergency response Transition planning: • Rehabilitation • Reconstruction • Sustainable recovery

12. Climate change adaptation and disaster risk management • Effective DRM needs to consider changing climate patterns. • DRM can be a natural entry point for adaptation. • IPCC (The recognised scientific body for climate change) has drawn the attention to the need to integrated DRM, and CCA to better reduce and manage the risks of extreme events and disasters in a changing climate.

13. The Economics of Resilience: Lessons from Kenya and Ethiopia • Investment in building the resilience of communities to cope with risk in disaster prone regions is more cost effective than the ever mounting humanitarian response.

14. International frameworks • The Hyogo Framework for Action: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)- Cancun Adaptation Framework • The Code of conduct for responsible fisheries • FAO Small Scale Fisheries guidelines (under development) - discusses the specific vulnerability of small-scale fishing communities to disaster risks and climate change • 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20): one step further?

15. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Achieving food and nutrition security for all is at the heart of FAO's mandate. FAO’s strategic objectives include • Increase the resilience of rural livelihoods to threats and crises FAO profile • 191 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union.

16. FAO/Fisheries disasters types Since 2005 FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has supported emergency response through 135 projects in 25 countries • Complex Emergencies • Tsunami • Tropical Storms • Floods • Earthquakes • Fish disease

17. DRM programme APFIC/FAO regional Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 5 October 2010 Inception workshop on FAO extrabudgetaryprogramme on fisheries and aquaculture, Rome, 27-30 October 2009 Regional Meeting, Muscat, Oman, March 25 2012 Latin America and the Caribbean regional meeting, San Jose, Costa Rica, 19 October 2010 Africa Regional Meeting, Maputo, Mozambique, 11 October 2010.

18. Report recommendations • There is an urgent need to improve understanding of the complexity and vulnerability of the sector to connect to wider policy framework (e.g. National adaptation programmes of action), to develop capacity, systems and approaches within governments to much more effectively engage with disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

19. Report recommendations • Large information gaps exist. Baseline information should be routinely gathered from the most vulnerable communities. The identification of fisheries dependent communities is a useful classification to have made in DRM preparedness and should allow for the rapid roll out of support to fishers in such communities. • There should be a concerted move away from post disaster fisheries asset replacement towards more integrated, livelihood informed, responses. • It is important to begin considering what could be the possible impacts of climate change on fisheries stakeholders and the resources that they depend upon.

20. WAY FORWARD • Strengthening policy integration/coherence at regional and national levels, taking community needs into consideration • Building and developing capacity of partners and stakeholders at global, regional, national and community level to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change • Strengthen partnership collaboration and coordination of DRM and CCA in fisheries and aquaculture

21. WAY FORWARD • Building ecological, economic and social Resilience • Implementation of ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture, the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries • Livelihood diversification, public and private insurance • Supporting national planning and coordination in fisheries/aquaculture, DRM and CCA

22. Thank you