Project and disaster risk management under climate change

Very few decision markers now dispute the challenges associated with climate change (CC). The world over, CC awareness has risen to undisputed levels and this will continue to be so in the few decades to come. However, challenges still remain in terms of understanding and a need to integrate CC within the context of developmental tools like project planning (PP), disaster risk management (DRM) and environmental evaluation (EE) when dealing with brownfields development. The situation is aggravated by the fact that very few (if at all) professionals involved in decision making and development planning have formal tertiary education and training incorporating the four areas under discussion. Among the decision makers are: the chief executive officers, politicians, town planners, engineers, financiers, economists, project managers and consultants. Times have changed and the business of today requires that decision makers at all levels have adequate knowledge and awareness on the reality of CC and how this must be mainstreamed into decision making tools like PP, DRM and EE. This paper presents theoretical perspectives and conceptualises a framework in which CC could be mainstreamed into PP, DRM and EE a four-in-one framework when dealing with brownfield issues. The work is a valid information source for the group of practitioners indentified and other interested stakeholders. The paper establishes and concludes that CC issues in brownfield development, particularly mitigation, adaptation and technology can be better addressed through the proposed four-in-one framework. Such a framework is made possible by existing synergies in PP, DRM and EE cycles. This is an aspect that could assist, especially developing countries to move fast towards green, low-carbon economies and be part of the global greening evolution.