Ripples of Resilience: Weaving Disaster Risk Reduction into the Flow of Global Nature Conservation through an examination of WWF’s Recharge Pakistan

Abstract

Natural disasters are increasing in both frequency and power throughout the planet, intensified by the effects of climate change. As a global nonprofit, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) must address disaster risk reduction within its programs to prepare for these impacts. This report evaluates Recharge Pakistan, which is a WWF program focused on flood prevention through Ecosystem-based Adaptations (EbA). EbA are strategies that utilize the restoration of ecosystems to help humans adapt to the effects of climate change. I argue that this program can serve as a model of how large conservation initiatives can deliberately integrate disaster risk reduction by addressing hazard, exposure, and vulnerability together, especially in climate‑vulnerable regions where freshwater impacts are among the most acute expressions of climate change. My report argues that the program’s strength is a result of its holistic approach.