The Vulnerability and Adaptation Group meets on a semi-annual basis to identify the issues of mutual concern for the work program and discuss the outcomes of current work. The last VARG meeting was held during COP11 in Montreal, Canada, and discussed the ongoing work program on exploring the interlinkages between disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change. Following the preparation of a conceptual discussion paper (see below), case studies are currently being carried out with support from the EC. Work Program Focus: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Following conceptual discussions on the inter-linkages between disaster risk management and climate change adaptation at the VARG Meetings in Bonn, June 14, 2004 and Buenos Aires, December 6, 2004, a discussion paper entitled "Disaster Risk Management in Changing Climate" was produced and presented at World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Japan. The paper and the corresponding thematic session at WCDR explore opportunities and constraints for collaboration between disaster risk management and climate change adaptation to reduce the vulnerability of development processes to current and future environmental hazards. At the recent VARG meeting in Bonn, May 19, 2005, participants agreed to continue exploring the inter-linkages between disaster risk managment and climate change adaptation with the goal to identify operational guidance on good practices in selected regions. The discussion paper (with an addendum on WCDR outcomes relevant to climate change) was presented at a side event at the 22nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB-22) to the UNFCCC. VARG-Discussion Paper: Disaster Risk Management in Changing Climate (Sperling, F. & F. Szekely, 2005) (Version presented at WCDR, January 2005) (Version presented at SB-22, with addendum on WCDR outcomes) Summary of Thematic Session at WCDR: Summary of side event at SB-22: VARG Milan Meeting, December 13, 2003. The focus of the meeting, which was held in Milan after the conclusion of COP9, were the operational implications of capacity building aimed at reducing the impacts of climatic variations on development. The agencies provided an update of their current thinking on capacity building with the goal to assess whether common components can be identified that can be addressed jointly. Background information is provided below, including an information paper and presentaion prepared by Dr. Ar.Subbiah of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) for the meeting. Disscussion Summary: Background Information: Previous outcomes of discussions: VARG Bonn Meeting, June 4, 2003 Topical Focus: Screening of projects