Capacity development workshop in Addis Ababa
2012/10/11
Capacity development is needed on all levels and for different sectors in order to make disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) an integral part of sustainable urban development. In order to achieve this objective, the CATALYST think tank convened the Regional Workshop on Capacity Development for Integrating Disaster Risk Management into urban settings in Africa.
The two day workshop which started on 10 October 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia achieved bringing together policy makers, practitioners, researchers working in different fields (urban planning, emergency management) and different international and national organisations, NGOs and academic institutions to share views, capacity development opportunities they provide, experiences and needs related to capacity development for urban DRR and CCA activities in Africa.
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa, a member of the CATALYST think tank, is participating in this workshop, represented by Faith Chihumbiri. It is anticipated that the workshop will culminate in two main outcomes namely a vision paper and a capacity development module on how to integrate DRR and CCA into urban sustainable development in African cities.
Strategically scheduled, the workshop overlaps and forms part of the Regional Conference on Capacity Development for Integrating Disaster Risk Management into Urban Settings in Africa on 11 October and the National Conference and Exhibition on Disaster Risk Management in Ethiopia on 12 October Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All the fore mentioned events precede commemorations for the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Saturday 13 October.
Key highlights from Ethiopian commemoration of National Conference on Disaster Risk Management
The 6th National Conference on Disaster Risk Management was held at the Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa and marked the highlight of Ethiopia’s annual celebration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction in 2012.
In line with the 2012 theme Women and Girls - the [in]Visible Force of Resilience, Ms Alessandra Tisot, UNDP Country Director in her key note address pointed that “ too much of the work and achievements of women is of low-visibility and taken for granted. We need to move on from referring to women and girls as the Invisible but rather start acknowledging them as the invincible force of resilience.” She further added that there was a need to advocate for an approach that acknowledged women as meaningful contributors, to increased community resilience to disasters.
Through promoting Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, the government of Ethiopia aims to achieve sustainable economic development through a climate resilient and green economy agenda, providing affirmative action in allowing women and girls to participate and get involved is strategic decision making. His Excellency, Mr. Mitiku Kassa, State Minister of DRMFFS at Ministry of Agriculture further emphasized the government’s commitment by saying: “I would like to strongly emphasize that the Government of Ethiopia supports and is committed to the development and realization of the full potential of women so that they can fully participate with men in political, social and economic life. The draft revised DRM Policy and Strategy reinforces the achievement of this by providing for mainstreaming of gender in DRM and encouraging full participation of women and girls in all stages of DRM.”
For more information on the CATALYST Think Tank please click here.
