Their results indicate that water-limited communities are less vulnerable to droughts as they have adapted their economic activities to conditions of water scarcity as opposed to communities that do not perceive water as a potentially limiting resource. The authors use the concept of viability loops to model secondary drought impacts such as loss in income and out-migration. An improved approach to gauging vulnerability is proposed through monitoring
and indices of agricultural performance, water utilisation, and diversity. While recognising that the world is moving towards a future with changing climate averages, it is the increasing impacts due to large percentage change in extremes that is worrisome. The IPCC recognises this fact, which is leading to its preparation for a special learn more report assessing factors that make human and non-human systems vulnerable to extreme events; how present and future patterns of extremes relate with climate change; and, ways of managing the risks of disasters over a wide range of
scales in time and space (Field and Barros 2009). Thus, this special issue of Sustainability Science is expected to provide additional sources of information to the on-going IPCC special assessment as well as contribute to the continuing discussions of risk management and risk reduction strategies started by the Bali Plan of Action at the UNFCCC. References Bali Plan of ��-Nicotinamide Action (2007) Decision-/CP.13. http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_13/application/pdf/cp_bali_action.pdf Birkmann J, Tetzlaff G, Zentel K-O (eds) (2009) Addressing the challenge: recommendations and quality criteria for linking disaster risk Avelestat (AZD9668) reduction and adaptation to climate change. DKKV Publication Series 38, Bonn Field C, Barros V (2009) IPCC special report on managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate change adaptation. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/presentations/COP15-presentations/barros20091208.pdf
Hyogo Framework for Action (2005) Hyogo framework for action 2005–2015: building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters. http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/intergover/official-doc/L-docs/Hyogo-framework-for-action-english.pdf IPCC (2007a) Climate change 2007: synthesis report. Contribution of working JQ1 groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. In: Core Writing Team, Pachauri RK, Reisinger A (eds) Intergovernmental panel on climate change, Geneva, Switzerland IPCC (2007b) Climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. In: Parry ML, Canziani OF, Palutikof JP, van der Linden PJ, Hanson CE (eds) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge McBean G, Ajibade I (2009) Climate change, related hazards and human settlements.