Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Even today, it is causing severe humanitarian crises – especially in low-income countries. Through our projects, we promote climate-friendly strategies and technologies to support both people and nature. At the same time, we provide life-saving knowledge about natural disasters and, for example, install early warning systems.

Climate Crisis: A Global Threat – Unequally Distributed

Human-made climate change threatens the lives of millions of people worldwide. Extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. Even today, climate-related disasters cause almost three times as many displacements as conflicts and violence.

Those most affected are people in low-income countries, even though they have contributed the least to climate change. Often, they lack the resources and infrastructure to adequately prepare for or protect themselves in emergencies. This includes, for example, stable housing, protective barriers, drought-resistant seeds, or safe evacuation routes. At the same time, they are exposed to the most severe climate changes. The impacts of the climate crisis go far beyond natural disasters: when water becomes scarce or soils are rendered infertile by drought, the risks of poverty, hunger, and conflict increase.

Disaster Risk Reduction Builds Resilience

While natural events such as floods or storms cannot be prevented, their impacts can be mitigated. Through targeted disaster risk reduction and long-term climate adaptation, the risk of an extreme event turning into a catastrophe can be reduced.

By lowering people’s vulnerability and simultaneously strengthening their resilience, we provide long-term protection. This can be achieved, for example, through early warning systems, climate-adapted agriculture, access to clean water, and safe housing. Climate protection, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction must go hand in hand.

FAQ

Climate change refers to long-term changes in the weather – for example, in temperatures, precipitation, or extreme events. Natural climate variations also occurred in the past, such as through volcanic eruptions or fluctuations in solar radiation. However, since the 19th century, global warming has been primarily caused by humans: the burning of coal, oil, and gas releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. These gases amplify the natural greenhouse effect and cause the Earth to heat up further.

The main responsibility lies with industrialized countries of the Global North – for example, the USA and Germany. However, the consequences primarily affect countries in the Global South, such as Bangladesh or Uganda. These countries often lack the resources to protect themselves from the impacts of droughts, heatwaves, or floods. Access to water, food, housing, and income is increasingly at risk.

Climate protection aims to limit global warming by reducing the causes of climate change – primarily the emission of greenhouse gases. This includes similar measures worldwide, such as expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, promoting climate-friendly transportation, and reducing industrial emissions. Unlike climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, climate protection has a global focus and is comparable across many regions, as the sources of emissions are technically similar.

Climate adaptation means responding to the observable and expected impacts of climate change – such as increasing droughts, heavy rainfall, or rising sea levels. Its goal is to safeguard livelihoods and adjust structures so that they continue to function under changed conditions. Which measures are appropriate depends heavily on the location: mountainous regions require different solutions than small island states. Typical examples include heat-resistant buildings, climate-adapted agriculture, or water storage in arid areas. Unlike climate protection, climate adaptation is always local and context-specific.

Disaster risk reduction includes measures that help protect people and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme natural events – before they occur. This includes, for example, early warning systems, evacuation plans, or the construction of resilient housing. These precautions must also be adapted to local conditions: protection against earthquakes looks different from protection against cyclones or floods. While climate protection has a global impact, disaster risk reduction, like climate adaptation, is highly location-specific and tailored to concrete risks.

Four women holding a poster with an evacuation plan

Early Warning Systems and Disaster Risk Reduction in Nepal: Communities develop action plans and install early warning systems to better protect themselves from natural disasters.

Four people standing around a landscape model, discussing

Empowering Indigenous Communities in Guatemala: Using local knowledge and new technology, families adapt their farming practices to climate change.

A woman is placing vegetables on a table. The table is outside in front of a house.

Ensuring Food Security Despite the Climate Crisis: Training in climate-adapted farming helps women in Uganda provide their families with healthy food.

Three women standing next to a field with circular irrigation channels

Using Water Sustainably in India: New irrigation systems ensure a reliable water supply even during the dry season.

A woman standing in front of a large loom

Green Production in the Philippines: Farmers learn sustainable cultivation and processing of the native fiber plant, Abacá.

A woman stands in the center of a seated circle, holding a flood measurement stick.

Preparedness Saves Lives: Early warning systems, shelters, and self-help groups strengthen the resilience of communities in Bangladesh.

How AWO International Strengthens Disaster Preparedness

AWO International works together with local partner organizations to better prepare people for the impacts of climate change. In our projects, we promote, among other things:

Climate-adapted agriculture – for example, through the cultivation of drought-resistant crops
Sustainable irrigation systems – by building water catchment facilities
Risk assessments and early warning systems – for instance, using sirens
Climate-resilient villages – through training in sustainable agriculture and strengthening farmer cooperatives
Environmental and climate education – through campaigns and informational work

We rely on participatory approaches that combine local knowledge with modern technologies – creating resilient and empowered communities.

Beispielprojekte: Katastrophenvorsorge

In the picture, three women are sitting outside a house. They are talking and laughing.

Central AmericaEl SalvadorGuatemala

Disaster Risk Reduction for All

People with disabilities often have less access to education and social participation. Discrimination and exclusion make their daily lives even more difficult. During natural disasters in Central America, this can be life-threatening. In Guatemala and El Salvador, AWO International is committed to inclusive disaster preparedness and comprehensive support for people with disabilities in their daily lives.

A man squats in the middle of the picture and points to a map on the floor. In the background, people are sitting and listening.

South AsiaNepal

Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in western Nepal

In western Nepal, floods, landslides, droughts, and other impacts of the climate crisis are destroying livelihoods every year, particularly threatening the existence of families in rural areas. AWO International and the Nepalese non-governmental organization BEE-Group are therefore working to strengthen local disaster preparedness.

Two women are filling a sack with corn and laughing.

Central AmericaGuatemala

Good harvest despite climate crisis

Climate change poses a threat to the livelihoods of people living in Guatemala's ‘dry corridor’. In partnership with Utz Che', we promote sustainable farming methods and support local income generation, particularly among indigenous women.