sustainable development = child friendly, climate-proof programs

Saleemul Huq, Head of the Climate Change Group at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), recently gave a lecture where he argued that the future of sustainable development will be about mitigating and adapting to climate change, especially for the developing world.

I couldn't help but raise my eye-brows at the notion of 'Climate-proof programs.' Really, given the very erratic nature of climate change and the extent to which we don't know what is going to happen, how can we create 'climate proof programs' in any country?
But he gave an intriguing example. Not so long ago, Bangladesh experienced a (climate-intensified) cyclone. Because of an early warning system and a contingency plan, they were able to successfully move over two million people to safety. That's a lot of people. Bangladesh had learned from the past - the previous cyclone (of a similar magnitude) had killed over three times the number of people that this one did, because they had no contingency plan at that time.
One of their most successful strategies was teaching children about the different warning signals (what different bells meant in terms of the severity of the cyclone). It was the children who were then able to recognize the signals and convince their parents and grandparents - many of whom were uncertain about the wisdom of packing up their bags and moving - to vacate their homes.

Climate-proof programs means having multiple back up plans - like knowing where you go if there is a flood. or a fire. It means knowing your landscape and the surrounding ecologies so you know what you might be prone to. It might even mean being friends with your local emergency response crew, just so you know what the weak spots in the local system is.

And it's not just for developing countries. Haq was adament that rich countries and poor countries alike needed to think seriously about adaptation. I realized I didn't have an 'emergency plan' if a 'climate storm/disaster' hit, even though I've seen it - both in my own country and, with increasing regularity, on the news. It also made me wonder, what's are some different roles that business could play in responding to emergencies? How do we 'manage' the effects of climate change that are coming our way - regardless of if we stop our emissions? If you've got ideas (and I know some of you do!) let me know!