Transcript Regional and Sub-Regional Strategies for Disaster Reduction in Africa Presentation at WMO EXPERT MEETING ON NMHSs’ PARTICIPATION IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION COORDINATION MECHANISMS AND.

Regional and Sub-Regional Strategies
for Disaster Reduction in Africa
Presentation at
WMO EXPERT MEETING ON NMHSs’ PARTICIPATION IN DISASTER RISK
REDUCTION COORDINATION MECHANISMS AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
Martin Owor
Senior Regional Coordinator,
UN/ISDR, Africa.
WMO Hqs, Geneva, 26-28 November 2007.
www.unisdr.org
Evolution of Disaster
Risk Reduction in Africa
• Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is
gaining momentum in Africa at a
significantly fast pace over the past
few years.
• In 2003, a baseline study of disaster
reduction potential in Africa was
conducted by NEPAD, Africa Union
(AU) and UN/ISDR Africa.
Evolution of Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
Findings of Baseline Study
• Institutional: Disaster risk reduction yet to be effectively
institutionalized in Africa.
• Knowledge Management: In adequate attention to
information management and communication, training
and research.
• Governance: Inadequate involvement of stakeholders;
citizens often mere recipients of disaster management
activity outputs.
• Risk Identification and Assessment: Limited in Africa.
• Emergency Response: Disaster management yet to be
integrated in development Policies
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa – An Agenda in
Progress
Baseline Study was followed by :
• Establishment of an “Africa Working Group (AWG)
for DRR”: a forum comprising RECs (i.e ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC,ECCAS,
ICPAC, ACMAD, AGRYMET), UN Agencies, AU and NEPAD to draw up the Africa
Strategy for DRR.
• 2004, the “Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster
Risk Reduction” and “Guidelines for Mainstreaming
Disaster Risk Assessment into Development”
developed and published.
Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa – An Agenda in Progress
•
2005 began with the establishment of an “Africa Advisory Group on DRR”
and ended with the successful organization of the “First Africa Ministerial
Conference on DRR” which adopted an “Africa Program of Action on
DRR”.
•
In May 2006 at Brazzaville, the African Ministerial Conference on
Environment (AMCEN) mainstreamed the Africa DRR strategy into its next
five programme.
•
2007: (i) Africa Platform for DRR established to inform Global Platform, (ii)
ECOWAS summit of Heads of States discuss and approved subregional
DRR strategy; (iii) AMCOW discussed HFA.
•
2008, Second Africa Union DRR Ministerial Conference planned.
•
2009, Africa Union Summit of Heads of States and Governments on
DRR/MDGs and Sustainable Development planned.
Regional and Sub-Regional Structures in Africa
Regional: AU - African Union
Sub Regional:
• ECOWAS - Economic Community of West African States: Sixteen Countries
• ECCAS - Economic Community of Central Africa States: Fourteen C’tries
•
•
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6.
7.
SADC - Southern Africa Development Community: Fourteen Countries
IGAD - Inter-Governmental Authority on Development : Seven Countries
EAC East African Community: Five Countries
IOC Indian Ocean Commission: Four Countries
UMA – Arab Maghreb Union: Five Countries
Regional and Sub-Regional Strategies for
Disaster Reduction in Africa
Regional:
AU : developed and approved the Africa Regional
Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2005
with UN/ISDR support.
Sub Regional:
1. IGAD: developed andd approved a DRR
strategy in 2004 with UN/ISDR support.
2. ECOWAS: developed and approved a Common
Policy and mechanism in Jan, 2007,
with UN/ISDR support
Sub Regional Strategies, Cont….
3. SADC: revising its Strategy shifting
from a security focus to DRR
with UN/ISDR support (to be
completed by April 2008)
4. ECCAS: began developing its
subregion common DRR
strategy with UN/ISDR
support (to be ready by Feb. 2008).
I
Sub Regional Strategies, Cont….
5. IOC: A framework for development of
common sub regional DRR Strategy
agreed on between subregional technical
team and UN/ISDR, activity begins early
2008. Sub regional Early Warning
mechanisms functional.
6. EAC: No common DRR strategy in place.
UN/ISDR to engage secretariate early
2008.
Photo: IFRC
All DRR strategies in Africa are aligned to the
five HFA priorities
All have common objectives:
1. increase political commitment to disaster risk reduction;
2. improve identification and assessment of disaster risks;
3. enhance knowledge management for disaster risk reduction;
4. increase public awareness of disaster risk reduction;
5. improve governance of disaster risk reduction institutions; and
6. integrate disaster risk reduction into emergency response mgt.
Some Operational Mechanisms in Africa
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Africa Regional Platform for DRR ;
AMCEN, AMCOW, Bienual Forum of Ministers responsible for DRR
RECs forums for DRR and placement by UN/ISDR of an expert to enhance HFA
activities in each REC Secretariate,
30 functional National Platforms for coordination of DRR activities
Annual Consultative Forum of National Platforms in Africa;
Educational and Scientific Forums; (DMISA, Peri Peri U, UNeDRA, ICAPC, DMCSADC, ACMAD, CILLS)
WB/UNISDR GFDRR programme
AU/UNISDR joint programmes
UNCT joint programmes e.g Mozambique joint Emergency and DRR programme
small-scale pilot projects e.g Joint UN/ISDR-ICAPC Community Climate
Information delivery project.
Placement of DRR expert in AU Commission in Addis Ababa and UN Regional
Directors Team Hub in Johannesburg
Other on-going UN Regional Inter-Agency collaborative
efforts for DRR in Africa
Level
Central and
Eastern Africa
Sub regions
Coordinating
Institutions
OCHA-ROCEA,
UN/ISDR
Activity
Status
Development of a Regional
Humanitarian Partnership Team
(RHPT) framework of common DRR
and Humanitarian activities for 2008
Regional
planning
workshop
held,(71 Pax)
First draft ready
Southern Africa
Western Africa
OCHA-ROSA,
UN/ISDR
UNDP/BCPR
Development of a Regional InterAgency Coordination Support Office
(RIACSO) framework of activities for
2008
Workshop
planned for early
December 2007
OCHA-ROWA,
UN/ISDR
UNDP/BCPR
Initial discussions for development of a
Regional Inter-Agency DRR and
Humanitarian framework of activities
for 2008 began
Initial e-mail
exchanges on
dates and
agenda for
workshop
Future Political Commitments
• 2008. Second AU ministerial consultative
meeting on DRR
• 2009. Summit of Africa Heads of States
and Gov’t to be the theme “ DRR for
achievement of MDGs and sustainable
development.
Some Progress at National level in Africa
• National level:
- 27 countries have established National Platforms for DRR
- making progress in mainstreaming DRR into their sectoral programmes,
- strengthening early warning systems
- reporting on progress in the implementation of the HFA
- and revising their DRR policies and Legislation.
• A number of countries such as Uganda, Ghana, Senegal, Madagascar
Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Kenya and Mauritania have revised their
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) integrating DRR as a cross
cutting issue and are moving further to introduce DRR into annual workplans
and budgets.
• UNCT Mozambique has come up with an integrated common DRR and
Emergency Preparedness plan for 2008/9 to be implemented under a busket
fund coordinated by UNDP CO. Malawi, Kenya and Namibia are also on
track.
Some Challenges
• Shortage of resources and technical capacity limit the ability
of the already poor African nations in implementing their
disaster reduction strategies and action plans
• Limited Internet connectivity and access to information on
DRR;
• Low capacity for risk assessment and mapping;
• Lack of resource for cross boarder consultation.
• Lack effective data collaction capacities and depositories and
repositories of information.
Some Recommendations
• Support strengthening of links between UNCT and National Platforms
• Build capacities of RECS and Institutions engaged in DRR in Africa
especially early warning information such as NMHS and their subregional
networks such as ICPAC, DMC-SADC, ACMAD, CILLS, and AGRYMET.
• Build capacities of the Africa media in DRR for public mobilisation and
education;
• Increase support to inter-country cooperation and coordination mechanisms
such as, Africa Platform, Sub regional and National Platforms;
• Support implementation of Africa Regional and Sub regional DRR strategies
and Action plans
• Support the Africa Academic and Scientific Institutions developing
educational curriculum for DRR such as UNeDRA, Peri Peri U, PhreeWAY
and DMISA
I THANK YOU
Martin Owor
UN/ISDR Senior Regional Coordinator, Africa
[email protected]
Tel. (+254) 20 762 4119
[email protected]
www.unisdr.org