Adaptation and Resilience Measures in the Face of Extreme Events in Algeria

Abstract

When designing policies and programs, it is important to consider the limitations of adaptive capacity, of the population in certain contexts of extreme events. This may require a transformation of the systems themselves, so as to build resilience. Building resilience to climate change will require the incorporation of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures into short, medium, and long-term policies, programs, and practices. This chapter aims to propose a conceptual framework for assessing resilience in a socio-hydrological context and provide insights into how resilience can be understood and managed in Algeria in this case. The two most important extreme events are droughts and floods. Thus, the search for resilience goes through actions that act on the population’s response to the effects of climate change. Acting and responding effectively to a disaster before, during, and after depends on the right attitudes and skills of individuals acquired through education, training, and awareness-raising to the effects of climate change. Analysis of the results shows that adequate resilience in any society depends largely on water resources sector planning and water supply infrastructure. Overall, the results of this chapter suggest that several disciplines, such as eco-social management, engineering systems, and institutional management, should play a role in planning disaster resilience strategies.