National Policies and Programs on Climate Change and Disaster Risks that Address Human Security

Abstract

The IPCC 5th Assessment Report (AR5) provides strong evidence that human security will be progressively threatened as climate changes for the worse. Climate change poses a great challenge for states to provide a supportive backdrop, infrastructure, and protection for its people under present and future climate regimes. At the core of addressing this challenge is the formulation and effective implementation of appropriate national policies and programs that advance human security. This chapter reviews key national policies and programs that are implemented to improve human security in selected Asian counties. The review highlighted three important observations. First, national policies and programs across Asia are currently at various stages of development, initiating innovative solutions in response to country-specific problems and threats associated with climate change and disaster risk. Second, in spite of positive developments, key challenges remain on how these national policies are translated and effectively implemented at local levels to achieve human security. Lastly, with the anticipated increasing risk associated with climate change and other forms of hazards in the future, national policies and programs need to evolve in a dynamic manner to incorporate advancement in science and technology and integrate local and indigenous knowledge and experience in order to be more responsive to the changing dynamics of risk and resilience and to prioritize accordingly. The chapter points out that regular monitoring and evaluation of national policies and programs, especially at the ground level, is crucial to achieve human security.