Disasters and climate change are increasingly influencing the attainment of development objectives. Poor people regularly face hazards and stresses which undermine their lives and production systems, and on occasions result in widespread disaster. Climate change is causing many hazards and stresses to increase in frequency and intensity. The unpredictability of future climate and weather patterns means that potential pathways out of poverty are less obvious. In December 2009, Practical Action hosted a seminar bringing together academics, practitioners and policy-makers to explore how thinking on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction can be integrated with sustainable livelihoods approaches for more effective and sustained poverty reduction. This briefing paper provides an overview of the theme of the seminar, followed by summaries of the presentations made there.