Scoping meeting for an IPCC special report on extreme events and disasters: managing the risks

These proceedings compile the documentation used to inform the panel’s decision to undertake the special report on “Managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation”.

The document captures the scoping meeting breakout group discussions, which served as a basis for the annotated outline. The agenda provided for five synopses and agreed upon the need for case studies. A scoping paper describing process and objectives and providing the resultant proposed outline was prepared and distributed. Calls for expert nominations was issued to Governments, and a Science Steering Group assembled to evaluate submissions, identify gaps, recommend additional candidates, and assemble noted experts in the field to attend the scoping meeting.

The principal objectives of the scoping meeting were:

• to foster collaboration and discussions between climate science researchers spanning science, impacts, adaptation, mitigation working groups and colleagues in the disaster preparedness and risk management communities
• to develop a structure for the proposed special report and an annotated outline using the Norwegian proposal as a starting point.
  

The document was discussed at length and a decision was made to prepare the Special Report following IPCC procedures, with the involvement of ISDR. It was further decided that Working Group II would oversee preparation of the assessment. The following is the proposed outline of chapter topics.

• Climate change: new dimensions in disaster risk, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience
• Determinants of risks: exposure and vulnerability
• Changes in climate extremes and their impacts on the natural physical environment
• Changes in impacts of climate extremes: human systems and ecosystems
• Managing the risks from climate extremes at the local level
• Managing the risks from climate extremes at the national level
• Managing the risks: international level and integration across scales
• Toward a sustainable and resilient future
• 25 Case studies