Working on behalf of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), we partnered with Landell Mills to help seven Developing Member Countries (DMCs) embed the principles of Integrated Flood Risk Management (IFRM). This initiative promoted basin-scale solutions to strengthen climate resilience.
The scale of flood risk in many countries is now so great that no single solution will provide a sustainable level of resilience. It is increasingly recognised that piecemeal approaches are not effective flood risk management solutions. They often create inequalities, contribute to ecological degradation, and cannot adapt to a changing climate. This is where IFRM comes to the forefront.
IFRM strategies couple a range of measures and interventions. They blend structural solutions (e.g. nature-based solutions, flood defences), technical solutions (e.g. forecasting and early warning), institutional solutions (improved coordination and disaster preparedness) and financial solutions (e.g. insurance and disaster risk financing) to create resilience.
In this assignment, we supported the DMCs to embed the principles of IFRM into practice through:
In February 2020, we ran a stakeholder engagement workshop in Manila. This event brought together delegates from all seven DMCs involved in the assignment: Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar. The workshop was interactive and dynamic, creating a highly collaborative environment through tools such as the Enhanced Engagement Tool and our Augmented Reality Sandbox.
The workshop not only supported capacity building but also helped identify the key challenges faced by DMCs in implementing IFRM, including:
This powerful engagement was instrumental in shaping the Practical Guide to IFRM, ensuring it reflected the context-specific challenges and considerations identified during the workshop.
Funding for this work was provided by the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund. This fund supports cities by improving urban planning, designing climate-resilient infrastructure and investing in projects and people. The Rockefeller Foundation and the governments of Switzerland and the United Kingdom support the fund.
To learn more about our IFRM work, contact our team.
Contact our team to learn more about this project.
