Reconstitution of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction
2011/03/29-31

Over 70 high-level delegates attended a workshop focused on disaster risk reduction in Nairobi, Kenya this March.  The event, entitled Workshop for Reconstitution of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (AWGDRR), was convened by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the African Union Commission (AUC). The delegation included mayors, regional economic committees, state ministers and academic experts from all over the African continent.

African cities, not having the same access to resources as cities in developed countries, and often expanding at an alarming rate, are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. “Strengthening institutions for building resilience” was the theme of the workshop, where mayors discussed what can be done to build resilience within African cities. The delegation emphasised the role of local governments in implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR) on the ground, within the many interactive discussions that took place during the workshop. These discussions focused on a central message: the importance of systematically engaging with local governments to drive for sustainability and resilience in a rapidly urbanising continent.

The workshop objectives were: the reconstitution of the African Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction with agreed terms of references; operationalising the programme of action to implement the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and preparing Africa’s Report to 3rd Session of the Global Platform for DRR (8-13 May 2011).

The three day event also saw the formal AUC launch of the World Disaster Reduction Campaign on “Making Cities Resilient: My City is getting ready” in Africa.

ICLEI Africa participated in the panel discussion, entitled Invest today for a safer tomorrow – sharing of experiences and good practices, drawing on inspiration from some of its member local governments.

The success of the event was marked by the reconstitution of the AWGDRR, which was tasked with coordinating the implementation of disaster risk reduction mechanisms at the local level. Membership within the Working Group was placed into two categories, namely core membership and extended membership. ICLEI Africa's widespread interaction and association with local governments across Africa secured it a place in the latter and was given the task of providing input on how the Programme of Implementation for the Africa Regional Strategy for DRR could be operationalised in different African countries.

Ahead of the presentation of the Africa Report to the third Global Platform for DRR in May 2011 by the UNISDR, ICLEI Africa was tasked with profiling its own members in terms of disaster risk reduction. The findings will be incorporated into the final report, which will help to inform decision making and provide a roadmap toward implementing the Programme of Action.