Reducing Risk in a Changing Climate: Changing Paradigms Toward Pro-poor Adaptation

This paper analyses how disaster risk management paradigms have gradually developed since the 1960s, shaped by practical experience of—and the debate about—the rising number of disasters, growing urbanization, and changing climatic conditions. In this context, climate change is shown as driving an urban pro-poor adaptation agenda, which could allow current shortcomings in urban risk reduction to be overcome. However, as past lessons in disaster risk management are rarely considered, any potential for improvement remains untapped. Possible ways of rectifying this situation are discussed, and a comprehensive framework for the reduction of both disaster and climate risks is presented.