Roger-Mark De Souza: Integrated Development Shows Health, Population Dynamics Crucial for Resilience

Summary: Resilience means different things to different people. For many in the international development and humanitarian communities, building resilience means responding to growing climate risks through disaster mitigation and planning. But for people like Birhani Fakadi, a 39-year old mother of 11 in rural Ethiopia, it also means access to reproductive health and family planning services, says Roger-Mark De Souza in this week’s podcast. Birhani is a “model farmer” who teaches others in her community to adopt sustainable agricultural practices in the face of environmental change. But she was only empowered to do so after taking control of her reproductive health through a development program that combined health and conservation interventions, De Souza says. This raises important questions for resilience programming. “If we want to talk about resiliency we need to be thinking about population dynamics.” A reality check is needed, he says. This year the global population is expected to grow by 82 million people, and the fastest growing areas are often the most vulnerable to climate impacts. “These shocks will be quick hits, so we need to think about how we respond quickly. But how do we set the base for longer-term mechanisms to deal with these shocks and stressors over a period of time?” Population dynamics, climate change, and the connections between food, water, and energy are all part of the equation. We can build resilience by linking social trends with technological innovations, as well as by fostering greater integration and flexibility across development and humanitarian efforts, De Souza says. “A lot of the international programming continues to be in stovepipes. Many think about responding just initially without setting the basis for longer-term strategies…The funding mechanisms that are in place are very much stovepiped also.” One of the most important factors in building resilience is health. “Health is everything. A resilient community is a healthy one. And if you’re unable to address the key health dimensions around communities and think about how you scale that up, resiliency programming will face many more challenges.” Roger-Mark De Souza spoke at the Wilson Center on April 23. Friday podcasts are also available for download on iTunes.