What is disaster risk and preparedness?

Disaster risk refers to the potential loss of life, injury, or destruction and damage from a disaster in a given period of time. Disaster risk is usually expressed as a function of three key components: 

  • Hazards: a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause a loss of life, injury, or other negative impacts 

  • Exposure: the presence of people, assets, systems, or other elements in hazard-prone areas 

  • Vulnerability: the conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors that increase the susceptibility to the impacts of hazards 

Some examples of disaster risks in Nordic countries are hazards such as extreme weather events, storms and landslides. Disaster risks can also involve risks related to technology failure, dam ruptures, pandemics or other infrastructure failures, power outages, and water supply disruptions. 

Disaster preparedness is knowledge and capacities developed by governments, response and recovery organisations, communities, and individuals to anticipate, respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent, or current disasters. Preparedness activities aim to build the capacity to manage all types of emergencies effectively and achieve orderly transitions from response to sustained recovery. 

Addressing disaster risk with NbS

NbS can play a role in disaster risk management.  

  • NbS can help prevent or mitigate natural hazards. For example, forests and vegetation can stabilize slopes and reduce the risk of landslides.  

  • NbS can also limit people’s exposure to the hazards, for example protecting and restoring coastal vegetation and sand dunes can provide protection from storm surges and strong winds to coastal communities.  

  • Nbs can help reduce overall vulnerability to disasters through supporting community well-being and generating environmental benefits. 

Internationally, the concept of comprehensive disaster and climate risk management now includes NbS as an integral part of planning for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. NbS have the potential to enhance disaster preparedness in several ways: 

  • Protecting and restoring ecosystems, communities can build resilience against future disasters. 

  • Providing cost-effective solutions to reducing disaster risks, complementing conventional measures. 

  • Providing multiple benefits as nature-based solutions aim to address various societal challenges simultaneously, such as disaster risk, climate change, food security, and water security. 

To ensure that the NbS is meeting its goals for disaster risk and preparedness, it is essential to have systems for long-term monitoring and assessment in place. 

NbS with a focus on disaster risk

In GuideNbS, we highlight the societal benefits of each nature-based solution, considering the context-specific potential that is determined by ecosystem characteristics. We encourage users of this handbook to fully realize the potential within the specific context of the ecosystem and to set clear targets that can be followed over time. 

NbS for disaster risk management in a Nordic context can be adapted to the Nordic climate and landscape. They can leverage the natural landscape and biodiversity to mitigate the risks of floods, landslides, and coastal erosion Such NbS can also provide co-benefits such as enhancing biodiversity, improving water quality, and contributing to human well-being. Some examples are: 

  • Revegetation and restoration of vegetation in mountain ecosystems: In steep terrains, reforestation and sustainable forest management practices can help reduce the risk of landslides. Tree roots can help stabilise the soil and prevent erosion, particularly after heavy rain or snowmelt. 

  • Rain gardens and swales: implementing nature-based stormwater structures in cities can help slow down and retain urban stormwater during heavy rain, which can overwhelm the urban drainage systems and cause urban flooding. Urban areas in the Nordics increasingly experience heavy rainfall, and urban NbS can help mitigate local stormwater flood risks and damages while also contributing to urban biodiversity and air quality improvements. 

  • Green and blue-green roofs: can help mitigate local stormwater flood risks and damages while also contributing to urban biodiversity and air quality improvements. 

  • River daylighting: Daylighting/ reopening historic rivers and streams (removing pipes and artificial channels to restore natural river flows) and reconnecting rivers to floodplains can help mitigate flooding. Restoring natural waterways can provide both flood protection and enhance aquatic ecosystems. 

  • Raise riverbed levels: The stream bed level of a previously cut down stream is elevated to reconnect the river with the surrounding area. 

  • Ditch and drain blocking and filling: Man-made drainage ditches and drains that were originally constructed to lower the water table for purposes like agriculture are obstructed or filled completely. 

  • Rewetting: Former wetlands that have been drained for human activities are rewetted applying different types of NbS that restore the natural hydrology of the area. Wetlands can filter runoff, reduce water velocity, and retain water during floods. 

  • Floodplain reconnection: Floodplain can be reconnected to its surrounding by applying different types of NbS that reconnect the hydrological connectivity between the river and the floodplain. This can protect downstream areas from flooding by providing additional storage capacity for waters when inundating. 

  • (Re-)establishment of shallow lakes and ponds: Small, shallow bodies of water are created in areas where they have been lost, degraded, or were not previously present. Can protect downstream areas from flooding in periods with high levels of precipitation, because of their capacity to store water. 

Are you unsure how to choose an NbS that addresses disaster risk and preparedness? See our general guidance on Nature-based solutions!  

References

UNDRR – United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 

 

This page has been written by Line Barkved and Caroline Enge