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Entry points on climate risk management

Six good entry points for considering climate change in National Society programmes

This provides a list of things that National Societies who want to be ‘climate smart’ could be considering, but it doesn’t outline the ‘how’. The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Guide is a good starting point.
Technical assistance can also be found via your Climate Centre regional focal point.

Entry Points Example actions/indicators

1. Assessing and addressing current and future climate risks at national level

• Has the National Society (NS) done a national climate risk assessment that included identification and prioritization of actions? (eg. Preparedness for Climate Change programme)
• Does the NS keep in touch with climate related stakeholders, is regularly updated on the nature of changing climate risks and considers them in planning?
• Does the NS have a disaster response plan that includes forecast based contingency plans at various levels? Are these contingency plans considering forecast information on different timescales (days, months, years) for pre-emptive action?
• Does the NS have an active climate change focal point?

2. Assessing and addressing current and future climate risks with communities

• Are community perceptions of changing climate investigated using participatory tools? (eg. seasonal calendar) Are they documented/shared?
• Are community methods of dealing with climate risk (current and traditional) documented during the baseline or risk assessment phase?
• Is community access to, understanding of and need for early warning information assessed?
• Do structural projects consider a level of acceptable risk in the project design that incorporates anticipated trends in climate change?
• Are climate elements incorporated into baseline surveying?

3. Education and awareness raising

• Are the majority of staff at national and branch levels able to explain, in basic terms, the causes of climate change as well as the main trends, projections and likely impacts of current and future climate change in their country?
• Are public behavior change /awareness campaigns implemented based on the knowledge of changing climate risks?
• Are targeted communities able to explain the causes and threats of climate change and actions to act upon it (if relevant to area)?
• Are schools engaged in climate change awareness messages that are linked with locally relevant risk reduction measures where appropriate?

4. Non-traditional partnerships and networks

• Are staff at national and branch level able to list climate related stakeholders (NGOs, Government, academics) as they relate to their work?
• Is there an active relationship with the government’s climate change focal point?  Has the NS discussed the longer term climate change projections, their humanitarian implications and possible actions to take?
• Is the NS linked with their national meteorological service? Do they receive short and medium term forecasts for disaster preparedness, do they understand how to interpret them?
• Are the implications of climate change being discussed with existing stakeholders such as the ministry of health or national disaster management office?

5. Advocacy 

• Does the national focal point share experiences working on climate change within the National Society, amongst other NS and within the broader DRR/CC/health community?
• Has the leadership of the NS been engaged/have an understanding of the issue?
• Is the NS actively contributing to climate change groups at the national level?
• Does the NS have an active, two-way relationship with the meteorological office or early warning disseminators? Does the NS feel confident in informing the agency of their and community information needs?
• Does the NS engage in advocacy opportunities such as meetings, national days for action, forums, conferences etc.?
• Is the NS able to assess whether or not current government climate policies, in place at national and local levels, are reflecting the needs of communities? Do they feel confident contributing to dialogues and advocating for climate change funding to be channeled to the most vulnerable? 

6. Integrating climate change into existing training, plans and strategies 

• Does the NS incorporate climate related training into its standard trainings for staff and volunteers?
• Has the NS focal point on climate change received climate related training?
• Do NS policies and strategic documents mention climate change and plans to address it?
• Have NS programmes been screened to identify climate change entry points? (eg. Preparedness for Climate Change programme)
• Do new NS projects consider climate change?
• Have both health and disaster management sections of the NS been engaged in climate change activities?
• Does the NS have climate change related indicators in its M & E processes?
   

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