After Sendai: Is Africa Bouncing Back or Bouncing Forward from Disasters?

Abstract

The 187 countries that adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 at the March 2015 UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction included most African countries. Many developing regions of the world, particularly in Asia and Latin America, made considerable progress in implementing the previous Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015. But, despite the fact that Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable and least resilient to disasters, which continue to be exacerbated by poverty, climate change, rapid urbanization, and structural transformation, it saw only slow progress. This article considers the challenges Africa faces in implementing the Sendai Framework and recommends that besides “Africanizing” Sendai goals and strengthening the region’s political commitment to disaster risk reduction (DRR), Africa should also develop a single framework that integrates DRR, sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and conflict prevention. Equally important is the need for a strong recognition that disasters are created endogenously as well as exogenously, and thus require local solutions and local investment.

Keywords

Sub-Saharan Africa / Climate change adaptation / Disaster risk reduction / Resilience / Sendai framework / Sustainable development

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