By Tendai Keith Guvamombe
Experts from Burundi shared national best practices in inclusive disaster risk reduction, including ongoing efforts to integrate gender-disaggregated data into resilience planning. They also outlined plans to operationalise a multi-hazard situation room for disaster risk reduction. The facility will be linked to the Africa Multi-hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Discussions also focused on advocacy and policy developments, including the planned Continental Guidelines on Anticipatory Action and the establishment of the Continental Technical Working Group on Anticipatory Action under the AMHEWAS programme. The Working Group will strengthen knowledge sharing, capacity building, and coordination, while supporting existing continental mechanisms, such as the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction.
The host country also demonstrated progress in adopting an all-of-society approach to disaster resilience.
A panel discussion on disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) brought together government and non-government stakeholders who shared experiences in promoting the use of disaggregated data to address the disproportionate impact of disasters on persons with disabilities.
During the session, participants from the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia also shared best practices and lessons learned in disaster risk financing through domestic investments, in line with the Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Africa.
In addition, participants explored Transformative Community Resilience interventions aimed at strengthening resilience at the local level. The experts also briefed on the revised matrix for the Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Africa. The matrix covers the period 2026-2030, which represents the final five years of the Sendai Framework implementation period.
The 25th session of the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction is scheduled for the second half of 2026.
About the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (AWGDRR)
Reconstituted following the request of the Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Nairobi in April 2010, the Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction serves as the continent’s primary technical and coordination mechanism for disaster risk reduction. It provides technical support to the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities, Member States, and partners in coordinating and implementing the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and its Programme of Action. The African Union Commission chairs the Working Group, while the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, through its Regional Office for Africa, serves as the Secretariat.
The Africa Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction is supported by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF 11).