Panel IV: “Translating National Strategies to Practice” Pedro Basabe, Senior programme officer, UNISDR, Geneva, Switzerland

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Translating Policies to Practices in
Africa
4th Conference on Community Resiliency
Davos, 29-30 August 2013
Pedro Basabe, Dr. es Sc.
Former Head, UNISDR Regional Office for Africa

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Overview
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DRR Vision  Political commitment in Africa
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II From policies to practices
Some ideas to move forward

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Vulnerability and exposure increasing….. so Risk
Indicators of Vulnerability:
1. Physical exposure to
climate-related hazards
(drought, floods, storms,
landslides, wildfires)
2. Household and community
vulnerability (limited access
to health, nutrition,
sanitation, and education
levels)
3. Governance and incidence
of political violence
4. Population density
Source: Busby et al., 2010

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0
2
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6
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10
12
14
16
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20
GDPgrowth,%
Source: The Economist: The world in 2013
Top 10 countries with higher GDP growth: example 2012

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-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Sub-Saharan Africa
OECD
Source: The Economist: The world in 2012
Comparison of GDP between SSA and OECD (1995-2012)
Economic growth in Africa is also a window
of opportunity for DRR and Resilience as part
of Sustainable Development

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Proposed Terminology for DRR
Resilience
The ability of a system, community or society exposed to
hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover
from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner,
including through the preservation and restoration of its
essential basic structures and functions
www.unisdr.org

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• Africa Strategy for DRR since 2004.
• Extended Programme of Action for DRR
2006-2015 in line with the HFA:
• Strategic objectives,
• Areas of intervention,
• Expected results, and
• Indicators.
• Guidelines for implementation
• Substantive Ministerial Declaration
• 18 Key recommendations
Political Commitment
In partnership with: AUC, NPCA, RECs, AfDB, specialised entities,
donors, UN, Civil Society, etc.
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• Technical level:
– Regional Platform for DRR (3rd March 2013).
– Africa Working Group for DRR
– Sub-Regional Platforms for DRR
– Capacity development Trainings
• Political and high level:
– Africa Ministerial Conference on DRR.
– Resolutions and PoA endorsed by Executive Council
of the AU Heads of States
IMechanisms for DRR in Africa
In partnership with:
AUC, NPCA, RECs, AfDB, specialised entities, donors, UN, Civil Soc., etc.

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0 212.5 425 850
Kilometers
Legend:
ECOWAS - 15
ECCAS - 10
SADC - 15
IGAD - 7
• ECOWAS - Economic Community for West African States
• ECCAS - Economic Community for Central African States
• SADC - Southern African Development Community
• IGAD - Intergovernmental Authority on Development
• EAC - East African Community
• IOC - Indian Ocean Community
EAC - 5
IOC - 5
UNISDR presence
Former IGAD
DRR in African Sub-regional Economic Communities
Project in the HoA

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Standard terminology, CC and DRR
Set of good practices:
 Indigenous knowledge
 Gender perspective: integrating DRR into CCA
 Linking DRR and poverty reduction
 National Platforms
 DRR begins at schools
 Building disaster resilience communities
Brochures for African reality: for
i) governments, ii) communities and iii) schools (E,F):
 Poverty reduction
 Governance development
 Floods
 Landslides
 Water management
 Land-use
 Environmental protection
Informing on Activities and Progress
 Africa Spotlight
 Africa Informs
Education: practical publications

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Drought Risk Reduction Framework and Practices
Drought and adaptation forums with partners

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From policies to practices, Example: Drought Risk
Reduction project implementation in the HoA
ECHO funded project: FAO, REGLAP, UNISDR
• Capacity development and DRR expertise to
Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, IGAD and EAC
– Training to all stakeholders
– Expertise on DRR/M
– Decentralised national policies
– Strengthen NPs and/or coordinating mechanism
• Drought risk identification
– National disaster losses DBs
– Update drought hazards maps
– Translate forecast into easy messages Communities
• Awareness, advocacy, education and knowledge mgt
– Awareness campaigns
– Africa drought adaptation forum. Knowledge management
– Publications: drought risk reduction good practices, contingency planning, etc.
II

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• Multi-year Inventories record and
analyse the occurrence and effects of
disasters.
• Disaggregated information is provided
charts, tabular graphics, etc.
• Collection of homogeneous data
about disasters of all scales (small
medium and large disasters).
• The information compiled and
processed is entered in a scale of time
and referenced to county level.
National Disaster Losses DBs

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Building community resilience: some examples
• Policies and planning
– Kenya: Drought risk reduction policy to County level, Drought
management authority, Contingency fund (Gov., ECHO, REGLAP).
– Mainstream DRR into county SD planning (UNDP-ISDR).
– Decentralised DRR policy in Ethiopia (Gov.).
– Towards implementation of Uganda national disaster preparedness
and management policy (Gov).
• Drought risk identification
– Disaster risk profiling in Ethiopia till Kebele level (Gov.).
– Disaster losses DBs as tool for Drought RR planning (Gov.-ISDR).
– Drought EWs in Karamoja, Uganda (ACTED): radio spot messages
and SMS, dramas and songs, etc.
• Building capacities and access to services
– Pastoralist Field Schools (FAO): how to deal with risk and hazards
affecting their livelihoods.
– S-S knowledge sharing Senegal & Kenya EcoVillages-Communities.
• Drought preparedness and contingency planning
– Karamoja productive assets programme Kpap (WFP).
– Livelihood, early assessment and protection proj in Ethiopia (LEAP)
II

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 More partnership development & coordination to
collectively move from policies to practices.
 Decentralized policies, mechanisms and programmes.
 Sustainability of policies, mechanism, capacities and prog.
 National and local ownership and networks.
 South-South cooperation, city to city learning, village to
village.
 People centered EWs, preparedness and CP.
 Capacities for project formulation and implementation
to capture resources.
Some ideas to move forward III

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Thank you for your attention.
Let’s work together to build the resilience of
nations and communities to disasters.
www.unisdr.org/africa
www.Preventionweb.net

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Regional Economic Communities:
1. IGAD (7countries): DRR strategy developed and approved, July 2004.
2. ECOWAS (15countries): Programme of Action for the implementation of the
ECOWAS Policy on DRR (period 2010-2014), Oct. 2009.
3. SADC (15countries): DRR Strategic Plan revised and approved (period
2006-2010), Sept, 2005.
4. ECCAS (11countries): General policy on environment and natural resources
management developed and approved, March 2007.
5. EAC (5 countries): CC policy developed and approved, April 2010.
6. IOC (5 countries): A programme of Action centered on the specific
needs of small island developing States developed and
approved, Jan. 2005.
Progress at Sub-regional level III