chapter 4 - DRK

Strictly under embargo until Wednesday 22 September at 00:01 GMT (02:01 Geneva time)The inquiry dealt only with technical issues,avoiding larger questions. Telephonelines down, ‘boil water’ notices in force,drainage schemes overwhelmed and of no use,authorities hinted that it could’ve been worse.(There would be building work for months to come,developers would have no cause to complain.)A general cleaning-up operation began;houses, garages, skips gleamed with the slimedeposited everywhere like a disease.We will get over it though we’re not sure how.The country sighed in the calm after the storm,emergency services set themselves to the grimsequel as drowned townlands emerged at last,the earth increasing as the flow decreased.The birds, crowing and piping with relief,announced a partial return to normal lifeand light shone in the cloud until next time.It’s snow and black ice we’ve to contend with now.‘After the storm’ by Derek Mahon,from An Autumn Wind (2010)by kind permission of the author andThe Gallery Press (www.thegallerypress.com)resilience to disasters and climate change requires the involvement of all these actors.However, it is important that responses take into account the particular circumstancesof the urban poor who are generally the most vulnerable both to extreme events andto slow-onset changes. There are several specific ways in which adaptation to climatechange and disaster risk reduction can take this into account:Ensure that infrastructure works for the poor. New infrastructure – particularlyfor the provision of water, sanitation and drainage – is an important aspect of urbanadaptation to climate change and to building broader resilience. Yet too often, existinginfrastructure is poorly maintained. Often it is poor maintenance of storm andsurface drains that contributes so much to flooding – for instance, for many cities,the need to de-silt them and clear them of garbage before the monsoon rains come.Improving waste collection services from low-income communities can reduce floodingat times of heavy rain and can improve child health through reducing exposureto disease. Effective transportation systems can enable low-income groups to live insafer physical surroundings while still being able to access employment and livelihoodopportunities.World Disasters Report 2010 – Focus on urban risk127