On Better Terms: a Glance at Key Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Concepts

The disaster management community has developed a significant body of knowledge and tools over the past decades for managing climate-related risks associated with natural variability in the climate system, such as for storms, floods, droughts and extreme temperature conditions that will be the most significant outcomes of a changing climate. However, the terminology used to define emerging experiences is interpreted in vastly different ways by practitioners engaged in managing climate and disaster related risks. This booklet aims to lay down the foundation for such collaboration by making sure practitioners from both disciplines understand each other. It also clarifies terms that are often used and sometimes differently used by the two communities to explain points of similar conceptual emphasis.