Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview of Risk

Escrito como resenha do livro "A nova razão do mundo: ensaio sobre a sociedade neoliberal" organizado por Pierre Dardot e Christian Laval. DARDOT, Pierre; LAVAL, Christian. A nova razão do mundo: ensaio sobre a sociedade neoliberal. Tradução Mariana Echalar. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2016

Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview of Risk

This paper integrates information from both economics and the physical sciences to survey the effects of natural disasters in the region. A first section surveys the human and economic impact of natural disasters in the region at both the household and aggregate levels, noting both the geographical distribution of disaster risk and its long-term implications for development. A second section reviews types of disasters prevalent in the region, and future disaster risks, as well as the socio-economic sources of vulnerability to disasters resulting from development and migration patterns. A third section discusses risk management strategies at the household and community level, with public policy options and proposals for emergency response and finding an appropriate mix of local, national and market-based solutions.

Small Wind Turbines for Decentralised Rural Electrification: Case Studies in Peru, Nicaragua and Scotland

This thesis began as an engineering optimisation of Small Wind Turbine (SWT) blades for hand manufacture in developing countries. However, it soon became apparent that many of the SWTs installed in rural communities across the global south were not even in operation, let alone operating efficiently. This thesis reconceptualises SWTs as more than just a piece of technology that exists independent of the people that construct, install, operate and maintain it. The fundamental argument put forward is that in order to truly understand the reasons why so many SWTs are failing to provide the energy services for which they were designed, a holistic viewpoint must be taken that encompasses both social and technical issues. Case studies in Peru, Nicaragua and Scotland were undertaken to determine the key factors that have led to the success or failure of SWTs in each particular local context. From this evidence, a framework was developed to break down the socio-technical system that exists in each place into its component parts and the interactions between them, facilitating comparison between cases and the identification of the critical factors in wind-based decentralised rural electrification. The case study evidence has shown that taking this socio-technical perspective is in fact even more important for SWTs than for solar photovoltaics (PV), as almost every stage in the technology life cycle requires more support. Most notably, the wind resource is highly variable in both space and time (making resource assessment particularly difficult and limiting the scalability of the technology) and maintenance requirements are high (making technical support after installation from a service network and the empowerment of community technicians/end-users essential). SWTs have not been as successful as either solar PV or micro-hydro and nor do they have the potential to be. However, they do provide a third option for rural electrification in windy regions where neither solar nor hydro can provide sufficient electrical power throughout the year

BUYING A COLONIAL DREAM: THE ROLE OF LIFESTYLE MIGRANTS IN THE GENTRIFICATION OF THE HISTORIC CENTER OF GRANADA, NICARAGUA

This dissertation aims to expand our understanding of how lifestyle migrants from the Global North impact the urban space of a Global South city, particularly the built environment. In order to situate the questions posed in this dissertation, I focus on how lifestyle migrants from the Global North and their foreign capital transform the city of Granada, Nicaragua through processes of gentrification, and how the social and economic climate of the city and its residents are impacted. This research allows for empirically informed theoretical critiques to be made about the economic and social implications of the globalization of gentrification resulting from heterogeneous lifestyle migration. The property markets in many Global North locations, most notably the US, have pushed lifestyle migrants to look abroad; gentrification has gone international, spreading to the Global South. For reasons such as affordability and proximity to the US and Canada, many Global North property-buyers are looking to the colonial historic city center of Granada, Nicaragua as a site for relocation and investment. These migrants are purchasing and remodeling colonial-style homes as part of a broader transformation of the historic center to cater to international tourism and elite consumption. Many lifestyle migrants involved in the gentrification processes occurring in Granada are choosing transnational lifestyles by maintaining citizenship in their home countries, and simultaneously engaging in economic and social relationships in both Nicaragua and their home (or other) countries. The advantages that accompany their positions as migrants from the Global North greatly affect the lifestyle migrants’ roles in the transformation of the city, regardless of their own personal social and economic status at home. Many lifestyle migrants embrace a role of economic and social developers, and often enact a racist and neocolonialist understanding of the Nicaraguan people and culture as needing “improvement”. Lifestyle migrants are generally able to benefit from capital accumulated in Global North markets and their Global North citizen status enables them to live a mobile, transnational lifestyle. Such economic and mobility opportunities are unavailable for many Nicaraguans, further exacerbating the inequalities between local Nicaraguan residents and privileged lifestyle migrants

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavourable socio-economic and meteorological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The recently released IPCC special report "Global Warming of 1.5º C" outlines the fact that keeping global warming by the level of 1.5º C is possible, but also suggested that an increase by 2º C could lead to crises with crops (agriculture fed by rain could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock production, could damage water supplies and pose an additonal threat to coastal areas. The 5th Assessment Report produced by IPCC predicts that wheat may disappear from Africa by 2080, and that maize— a staple—will fall significantly in southern Africa. Also, arid and semi-arid lands are likely to increase by up to 8%, with severe ramifications for livelihoods, poverty eradication and meeting the SDGs. Pursuing appropriate adaptation strategies is thus vital, in order to address the current and future challenges posed by a changing climate. It is against this background that the "African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation" is being published. It contains papers prepared by scholars, representatives from social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects in Africa, and working with communities across the African continent. Encompassing over 100 contribtions from across Africa, it is the most comprehensive publication on climate change adaptation in Africa ever produced

Renewing Local Planning to Face Climate Change in the Tropics

This book aims to inspire decision makers and practitioners to change their approach to climate planning in the tropics through the application of modern technologies for characterizing local climate and tracking vulnerability and risk, and using decision-making tools. Drawing on 16 case studies conducted mainly in the Caribbean, Central America, Western and Eastern Africa, and South East Asia it is shown how successful integration of traditional and modern knowledge can enhance disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change in the tropics. The case studies encompass both rural and urban settings and cover different scales: rural communities, cities, and regions. In addition, the book looks to the future of planning by addressing topics of major importance, including residual risk integration in local development plans, damage insurance and the potential role of climate vulnerability reduction credits. In many regions of the tropics, climate planning is growing but has still very low quality. This book identifies the weaknesses and proposes effective solutions

Renewing Local Planning to Face Climate Change in the Tropics

climate vulnerability; urban resilience; climate change; adaptation; planning; environmental risk analysis; decision making; disaster risk reduction; tropical climate managemen

Central and South America

The chapter is divided into two main sections. The first section follows an integrative approach in which hazards, exposure, vulnerability, impacts and risks are discussed following the eight climatically homogeneous sub-regions described in WGI AR6 (Figure 12.1). The second section assesses the implemented and proposed adaptation practices by sector; in doing so, it connects to the WGII AR6 crosschapter themes. The storyline is then a description of the hazards, exposure, vulnerability and impacts providing as much detail as is available in the literature at the sub-regional level, followed by the identification of risks as a result of the interaction of those aspects. This integrated sub-regional approach ensures a balance in the text, particularly for countries that are usually underrepresented in the literature but that show a high level of vulnerability and impacts, such as those observed in CA. The sectoral assessment of adaptation that follows is useful for policymakers and implementers, usually focused and organised by sectors, government ministries or secretaries that can easily locate the relevant adaptation information for their particular sector. To ensure coherence in the chapter, a summary of the assessed adaptation options by key risks is presented, followed by a feasibility assessment for some relevant adaptation options. The chapter closes with case studies and a discussion of the knowledge gaps evidenced in the process of the assessment.EEA Santa CruzFil: Castellanos, Edwin J. Universidad del Valle de Guatemala; Guatemala.Fil: Lemos, Maria Fernanda. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro; Brasil.Fil: Astigarraga, Laura. Universidad de la República; Uruguay.Fil: Chacón, Noemí. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Venezuela.Fil: Cuvi, Nicolás. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO); Ecuador.Fil: Huggel, Christian. University of Zurich; Switzerland.Fil: Miranda Sara, Liliana Raquel. Foro Ciudades para la Vida; Peru.Fil: Moncassim Vale, Mariana. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; Brasil.Fil: Ometto, Jean Pierre. National Institute for Space Research; Brasil.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Postigo, Julio C. Indiana University; Estados Unidos.Fil: Ramajo Gallardo, Laura. Adolfo Ibanez University; Chile.Fil: Roco, Lisandro. Catholic University of The North; Chile.Fil: Rusticucci, Matilde Monica. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina

Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation: Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

This Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) has been jointly coordinated by Working Groups I (WGI) and II (WGII) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report focuses on the relationship between climate change and extreme weather and climate events, the impacts of such events, and the strategies to manage the associated risks. The IPCC was jointly established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in particular to assess in a comprehensive, objective, and transparent manner all the relevant scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information to contribute in understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, the potential impacts, and the adaptation and mitigation options. Beginning in 1990, the IPCC has produced a series of Assessment Reports, Special Reports, Technical Papers, methodologies, and other key documents which have since become the standard references for policymakers and scientists.This Special Report, in particular, contributes to frame the challenge of dealing with extreme weather and climate events as an issue in decisionmaking under uncertainty, analyzing response in the context of risk management. The report consists of nine chapters, covering risk management; observed and projected changes in extreme weather and climate events; exposure and vulnerability to as well as losses resulting from such events; adaptation options from the local to the international scale; the role of sustainable development in modulating risks; and insights from specific case studies