EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is the second report for the Programme ‘Building Disaster Resilience to Sub-Saharan African Regions, Countries and Communities’ (referred to throughout this report as “the Programme”). In 2018, the Programme continued the activities under the following Result Areas:
Result Area 1: Extended Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (PoA 2006-2015) operational, through the improved AUC's coordination and monitoring capacity
Result Area 2: African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have DRR coordination, planning and policy advisory capacities operational to support their respective member states and regional and sub-regional programmes
Result Area 3: Core capacities of the specialised national and Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) are improved, to meet the needs of DRM agencies Result 3 and socio-economic sectors for effective use of weather and climate services and community-focused and real-time early warning systems (EWS).
Result Area 4: Sub-Saharan African countries have improved knowledge of risks through, the compilation of historical disaster related data to inform the assessment and modelling of future risks.
Result Area 5: Multi-risk financing strategies are developed at regional, national and local levels to help African countries make informed decisions, to improve their financial response capacity post disaster and to mitigate the socio-economic, fiscal and financial impacts of disasters of African countries The Result Area 1 component implemented by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) supported the convening of the 7th Africa Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the 6th High level Ministerial meeting on DRR in Tunis, Tunisia. The outcome of these meetings was the ‘Tunis Declaration on accelerating the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction’. In this Declaration, the Ministers responsible for DRR adopted Monitoring and Reporting Framework (MRF) for the Programme of Action (PoA) for the implementation of the Sendai Framework. As per the Tunis Declaration, the AUC is to start compiling a biennial report on the implementation of the PoA using the MRF. The operationalization of the MRF will be a key milestone in monitoring and reporting on DRR implementation in Africa. This is also evidence of strengthened institutional capacity of the AUC to coordinate and report on DRR implementation in Africa, and hence an achievement by the Programme of the objectives of Result Area 1, which is to facilitate operationalization of the PoA and the Africa Regional Strategy through the strengthening of the coordination and monitoring capacity of the AUC.
Under the Education and Training project of Result Area 1 of the Programme, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)2 trained more than 1,500 participants from government departments on: disaster loss accounting; probabilistic risk profiling; DRR budgeting and; the monitoring system for the Sendai Framework for DRR. These trainings resulted in improved understanding of DRR concepts and practices among the targeted participants. The continued work of UNDRR under this Result Area also saw the establishment of five (5) new DesInventar loss accounting databases during this reporting period, bringing to 25 the total number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the database.
Result Area 2 of the Programme supported the convening of the first Sub-regional Hydromet Forum in Africa at the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS). The Forum brought together 238 participants from hydrology, meteorology and DRR professions, as well as the private sector and civil society. The platform was an opportunity for exchange of knowledge and sharing of experiences. The Forum culminated in a communique which calls for integration between hydrology, meteorology and DRR, and an increase in DRR financing. The first Hydromet Forum for the Economic Community for Central African States (ECCAS) was also held during this period and was attended by 145 participants.
Result Area 2 also supported the convening of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) DRR Conference in March 2018 in which 178 participants from government institutions, academic networks, civil society, community-based organizations and youth networks participated. The above major conferences supported by Result Area 2 represent increased capacity by the Regional Economic Communities to coordinate the implementation of DRR in their regions. The successful convening of these activities also signals increased prioritisation and institutionalisation of the DRR agenda at the African regions. There is need for future initiatives to maintain this momentum and build upon the progress made through this Programme.
There was marked progress in Result Area 3 of the Programme from the previous reporting period, as evidenced by the commencement of implementation of the project activities after the signing of the agreement between AfDB and four (4) Regional Climate Centres. Signing of the Agreements kicked off the implementation of specific activities planned under Result Area 3 of the Programme through the Satellite and Weather Information for Disaster Resilience in Africa (SAWIDRA) projects. By the end of December 2018, execution rate for Result Area 3 was at 22%, a significant increase from 9% in 2017. As the report will show, progress was made in integration of the DRR theme in the Climate Outlook Forums’ agenda. The SAWIDRA projects have facilitated the participation of DRR actors in all Climate Outlook Forums conducted. This has been institutionalised and is now the norm. User interface forums were established and roles of DRR practitioners were clearly outlined in the Climate Outlook Forums.
Under Result Area 4, UNDRR trained a total of 664 national staff from Sub-Saharan Africa member States during 2018, bringing the total number of people trained under this Result Area since the beginning of the Programme to 1264. After the launching of the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) the UNDRR conducted trainings of national focal points on the use of the monitoring tool, reaching 154 people through four (4) regional and one (1) national training. The AUC participated in the SFM workshops and gave presentations on the PoA Monitoring and Reporting Framework. In addition, three (3) workshops were conducted to train national focal points on the use of Desinventar with ninety (90) staff members from Member States benefiting from the training. The above trainings have improved the capacity of member states to report on the Sendai Framework and on disaster loss accounting respectively. Twelve (12) national risk profiling workshops were conducted and reached 420 staff from member states. Result 4 of the Programme also supported the completion of national level probabilistic risk profiles for 16 countries. These profiles would be useful in guiding the development of national policies and strategies for disaster risk reduction.
Through technical assistance provided under Result Area 5 or Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRF) Initiative, the Government of Kenya approved its risk financing strategy, making it the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. Engagements for the development of country-driven Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) strategies and for exploring contingent financing options have continued to gain momentum. Activities have so far been undertaken in 20 countries. In addition, the training workshops and knowledge exchange sessions that are being organised through Result Area 5 are highly relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa as the understanding of Risk Financing is yet to grow in the region. Increased understanding and exposure has seen the countries increasingly requesting more technical guidance on risk financing options. The ADRF is also supporting nine (9) countries to develop multi-hazard risk profiles. Similar to the risk profiles developed with the support of Result Area 4 above, these multi-hazard risk profiles are designed to guide governments on resource allocation, policy and project development.
A mid-term evaluation of the Programme was conducted, focusing on Result Areas 1, 3, 4 and 5. The evaluation noted that the Programme is highly relevant to the DRR stakeholders’ objectives and is aligned with the PoA. In terms of Impact of the programme, the evaluation noted that the policy pronouncements and commitments from high level meetings point to credible actions that derive from political will and which lead to policy and legislative alignments at regional and national levels. In terms of understanding risk and the impact of technical support that has been given to countries, the evaluation observed that Disaster Loss databases promoted by the Programme partners and evolving internalisation of risk financing concepts constitute important outputs with potential to drastically change how countries manage and plan for disasters. The evaluation also saw the Disaster Risk Financing Strategy initiated in Kenya under Result 5 as a radical shift in Disaster Risk Management (DRM).
Noting the achievements the Programme has made, the evaluation recommended a follow up programme “to enable the AUC DRR unit to fully establish themselves and bear fruit (R1), to yield ownership of the results to produce specific outcomes (especially in R3) as well as to achieve full programme impacts (R4 and R5)”. This recommendation provides a strong case upon which the Implementing Partners and beneficiaries of this Programme are to develop and conceptualise a follow up DRR programme.
The key challenge encountered by the implementing partners of the Programme was slow execution rate which can be attributable to late start of the implementation of some of the programme components.
The Implementing Partners requested a no-cost-extension for the Programme, which was granted. The no-cost extension is up to February 2020.