Using geospatial tools for nature-based solutions to reducing disaster and climate risks: A hands-on workshop session
Workshop
identify · data · emerging-technologies· risk communication· risk assesSment· nature-based solutions· design, visualization and art · flood· landslide· tropical cyclone/hurricane/typhoon· landslide· drought
Ecosystems in general and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in particular are increasingly recognized for their role in reducing disaster risk and the harmful impacts of climate change. Mangroves, sea grasses and corals have been proven to reduce wave energy and related impacts from storm surges; forests and other vegetation can reduce landslide susceptibility by removing excessive soil water content and stabilizing the soil through root networks; forests can also buffer drought by regulating humidity and increasing precipitations, through albedo, roughness, shadow, heat absorption and evapotranspiration processes.
This hands-on session will explore several innovative geospatial tools for improving our knowledge and expanding options for decision-makers in investing in nature-based solutions for reducing urgent climate and disaster risks. It will alternate between hands-on demonstrations of geospatial tools to short, interactive presentations from leaders in this field:
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will demonstrate the global geospatial tool: “Opportunity Mapping for Ecosystem Restoration and Protection for Disaster Risk Reduction”, which won the UR Viz Risk Challenge award in 2019 for best visualization of risk at the regional scale.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sri Lanka will demonstrate a tailored version of Opportunity mapping, which includes cost-benefit scenarios for encouraging private sector investments in NbS for a river basin area.
UNEP-GRID/ University of Geneva is the world leader in disaster risk modelling and the information center for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. They will demonstrate how to verify the status of wetlands for mitigating floods at Ramsar sites using remote sensing technologies.
UN University- Institute for Environment and Human Security will demonstrate how to assess current and future climate risks using geospatial tools to evaluate “climate sensitive adaptation strategies”, for transboundary water management in West Africa, using science-based and participatory approaches.
Yale-NUS College will give a hands-on introduction to their project, Virtual Reality for Disaster Resilience (VR4DR) which uses drone photogrammetry and 360° video participatory risk assessments to provide baseline assessments of areas at risk for prevention and post-disaster recovery efforts, including the role of NbS for disaster risk reduction.
The format will be workshop style to encourage interactions and exchanges with session participants.
Organizer: United Nations Environment Programme
Partner organizations: UNPE GRID / University of Geneva, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, International Union for Conservation of Nature, United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security