This project aims to develop an innovative and sustainable way to build businesses' adaptation capacity.
Through funding from the Nordic Climate Facility, UNEP DTU Partnership has partnered with Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and MPEnsystems in a project aimed at developing a disaster risk management (DRM) product that will allow Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka to reduce their recurring losses from climate related disasters (primarily flooding). SMEs contribute significantly to Sri Lanka’s export industry, employing a large percentage of women.
The business concept proposes to integrate long-term climate adaptation solutions in business operations, in a manner, which is cost-effective and contextually adapted to the disaster prone (SMEs) in Sri Lanka, which can later be replicated and scaled across other sectors and countries.
An in-depth analysis of the disaster impacts and related costs incurred by businesses, and actors’ behaviours and preferences, will inform the design of a prototype toolkit, which will be piloted in selected flood-prone case areas. Here built-in features will, for example, help businesses understand how flooding impacts their specific operations and how they can reduce their risks by identifying and investing in the most suitable adaptation measures.
The prototype toolkit is made available through a smartphone app, available for Andriod and Iphones.
In the long-term, understanding that adaptation to climate change makes business sense – and investing in appropriate and sustainable measures – will benefit not only the businesses themselves, but also actors in their supply-chain, local communities and financial institutions (banks and insurance companies) that will see their risks reduced as well.
Additionally, the project aims to inform the Government of Sri Lanka’s national climate adaptation and disaster management strategies by strengthening policies that can build the resilience of businesses to climate change.
