Disaster Reduction in AFRICA From the editor ISDR INFORMS produced by Partnership is only as strong as the weakest partner the Africa Regional Office of the UN/International Strategy African Heads of State in July 2004 received the draft Africa Regional for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) Strategy for Disaster Reduction positively, and called for a Programme UN/ISDR Senior Regional Officer for Africa of Action for its implementation. Feng Min Kan . This was an achievement by an African disaster management community that started the initiative only 12 months earlier - in June 2003. Editor Alain Valency R. But two immediate challenges are ahead: developing the right General Production Programme of Action, and contributing positively to the 2nd World Noroarisoa Rakotondrandria Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR II) which will kick off in Japan on 18 January 2005. Design & Layout Mario Barrantes The two challenges, however, are the two sides of a coin. Indeed, Africa Noroarisoa Rakotondrandria will not be able to develop and implement fully - and successfully - its future Programme of Action without some support from WCDR II. Photographs UN/ISDR Africa, ICPAC (formerly DMCN), How to win such a support? There is no clear recipe but there might be Prof. D. Benouar some ways to increase our chances: Circulation 1. Africa will go to Kobe like a soccer team formed in June 2003, Ib Knutsen and Pamela Mubuta winning the Africa Cup in July 2004 and taking part in the World Printed by Cup five months later. As a new entrant, it might be wise not to UNON Print Shop, Nairobi, Kenya seek to “win the Cup”, but win supporters (without whom, after all, a young new entrant will find it difficult to perform). Winning DISCLAIMER supporters, winning support in Kobe: this should be Africa’s target. The information and opinions expressed in this publica- tion do not necessarily reflect the policies of the UN/ISDR 2. Support nowadays is in the form of partnership. As partnership is Secretariat. about combining assets (strengths) not liabilities (weaknesses), Find more about disaster reduction with Africa should contributes its assets - not its liabilities - to Kobe. UN/ISDR Secretariat 3. For partnership to be effective, it must be based on a clear, UN Palais des Nations, undisputed agreement. It is here that our Programme of Action CH 1211 Geneva comes into play. It should match the Global Programme of Action 10 Switzerland emerging from WCDR II - without sacrificing our interests. Such a Tel: +506-224-6941, 224-6395, 224-6690 match is, in itself, a clear and undisputed agreement. Fax:+506-224-7758 [email protected] 4. One possible way to achieve this is to ensure that our future www.unisdr.org Programme of Action contributes to the achievement, in Africa, of the global objectives to be set in Kobe. Put in the present - not UN/ISDR Africa future - tense, we have to contribute actively to the ongoing shaping UNEP HQ, UN Complex, Gigiri, P.O. Box 47074 Nairobi, Kenya. of the draft Global Programme of Action (by an open-ended Drafting Tel (254-2) 624568 or 624119 Committee). E-mail: [email protected] www.unisdrafrica.org Africa should contribute all its assets to the shaping of the draft Global Programme of Action. This also will enable her to promote the draft Regional Unit for Latin America (which then also becomes “her” draft) with some confidence in Kobe. & the Caribbean PO Box 3745-1000 Africa’s country reporting for WCDR II has been termed “outstanding” - San José, Costa Rica in both quantity and quality. This is a clear case of “contributing-one’s- Fax (506) 224-7758 Tel (506) 224-1186 assets-not-one’s-liabilities”. And a good stepping stone for higher [email protected] achievements, increased profile, stronger partnership. [email protected] [email protected] A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so is partnership. www.eird.org Partnership is only as strong as the weakest partner. www.crid.or.cr For free subscriptions R. Alain Valency Please send your full name, institution or organization for [email protected] which you work (not essential) and address to the following address: ISDR- [email protected] Disaster Reduction in Africa - ISDR Informs, Issue 4/November 2004 1 IN THIS ISSUE From the editor 3 Disaster Reduction in Africa 3 GEO-HAZARDS: African continent experiences “separation”, major threat of disasters feared – Dr Chris Hartnardy 7 MOZAMBIQUE: German agency helps to integrate disaster risk management in rural development – Mr Wolfgang Stiebens & Dr Christina Bollin 10 CHAD: Impacts of desertification alarming, new strategy deployed – Mr Mikail Abakar Ibrahim 12 Drought management & coordination of food security in Kenya – Mr Maaboub Maalim 14 Southern African disaster manager urges peers to end “lament” – Mr Haretsebe Mahosi 16 Views and Reviews 16 Institutionalizing Disaster Risk Management in Africa: Gains & Challenges 18 Towards comprehensive, long-term approaches to disaster management in Nigeria – Dr Olusegun E. Ojo 20 Land use: risk & rewards – Mr Andy Paige 21 The African Women “underutilized” resource in disaster reduction – Mrs Alice Kirambi 22 UN/ISDR Africa National Platform 22 DJIBOUTI: National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction approved – Mr Ahmed M. Madar 23 MADAGASCAR: Early warning system, disaster management body revamped – Ms Gina Rakotoarimanana 24 UGANDA: Recent activities of ISDR National Platform – Mr Martin Owor 25 COMOROS: Draft national emergency preparedness & response plan finalized – Mr Hamidi Soule 26 GHANA: Disaster reduction workshop urges creation of ISDR National Platform – Brig (Rtd) J. Odei 28 GABON: ISDR National Platform launched – UN/ISDR Africa 30 ISDR National Platform launched in Republic of Congo – UN/ISDR Africa 31 KENYA: ISDR National Platform launched – UN/ISDR Africa 34 BOTSWANA: ISDR National Platform launched – UN/ISDR Africa 36 UN/ISDR World in Action 36 2004 United Nations Sasakawa award for disaster reduction – UN/ISDR Secretariat 38 The International Day for Disaster Reduction: A “risk & hazard awareness raising” day – Ms Nicole Rencoret 39 CENTRAL ASIA: Newly-established UN/ISDR office holds first regional consultative meeting – UN/ISDR Central Asia 41 Latin America & the Caribbean: Andean Heads of State endorse disaster reduction strategy – Ms Elina Palm 42 The UN/ISDR & Disaster Reduction in Asia: the “Asian Partnership” – Ms Takako Izumi 43 Preparations for Second World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR II) – UN/ISDR Africa 46 UN/ISDR Africa in Action 46 International Day for Disaster Reduction: Drawing and Essay Contest for children launched in Africa – UN/ISDR Africa 47 UN/ISDR Africa Activities in 2004 & Priorities in 2005 – UN/ISDR Africa 50 WEST & NORTH AFRICA: French-speaking disaster managers call for regional fund for disaster reduction – UN/ISDR Africa 52 Policy Makers Talk about Disaster Reduction 52 IGAD First Meeting of Ministers/Commissioners in Charge of Disaster Risk Management 54 Closing Statement by Mr Phandu C. Skelemani, Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration 55 African Preparations for WCDR 55 Africa’s country reporting for 2005 World Conference “outstanding” – Mr Haris Sanahuja 57 African disaster management community makes recommendations for 2005 world conference – UN/ISDR Africa 59 Africa’s voice at Prepcom 1 and 2 – UN/ISDR Africa 62 Partners in Action 62 African Heads of state discuss disaster reduction strategy, recommend action programme – UN/ISDR Africa 63 EAST & HORN OF AFRICA: Regional policy-making organ, technical advisory panel launched – UN/ISDR Africa 65 14th Climate outlook forum for Greater Horn of Africa – Mr Zachary Atheru 67 First regional food security outlook for the Greater Horn of Africa – Mr Zachary Atheru 68 Disaster Management in Africa: Is There a Need? – Mr Charles Kelly Disaster Reduction in Africa - ISDR Informs, Issue 4/November 2004 2 Disaster Reduction in Africa GEO-HAZARDS: African continent experiences “separation”, major threat of disasters feared Dr Chris Hartnardy (Algeria), Prof Evelyne Mbede of the which our archaic ancestors once UMVOTO Pty Ltd, University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) flourished.” Cape Town, South Africa and Prof Ezra Twesigomwe of Makerere University (Uganda). Over third of all earthquakes The East African Rift may have The workshop sought, among other occurred in Africa helped our archaic ancestors to things, to : (1) review the current status of Less than 10 millimetres of “separation” flourish. But today, millions of years earthquake hazard and risk assessment in every year may not sound so alarming, later, it may become a major threat. Africa, (2) review other hazards that are but living on top of two unstable tectonic African experts say a recurrence of directly or indirectly related to the African plates is hazardous. Many significant the 1910 major earthquake in earthquake hazard, and (3) establish a earthquakes have been recorded in today’s southern Tanzania would be Working Group of African Geotectonics, continental Africa. disastrous to Beira, Dar es Salaam Seismology and Geo-Hazard Experts. and Mombasa. A 1997 earthquake catalogue contains a Ongoing rift a potential major global compilation of 618 intracontinental ≥ threat earthquakes of a magnitude 5.3 from 1978 to 1994, and 123 events of a The African continent is experiencing a A report on the workshop says the former magnitude ≥ 7.0 from 1900 to 1994 (both steady separation of nearly 10 millimetres Africa tectonic plate has experienced, datasets considered to be complete). A every year. And some of the forces over the past several million years of subset of African earthquakes numbers behind this rifting process may constitute geological time, an ongoing break-up into 280 events or 38 % of the global a major threat leading to devastating separate Nubia (West African) and database. disasters. Somalia (East African) plates, adding that Large explosive eruptions have occurred the great East African Rift System (EARS) “Major” earthquakes (of magnitude 7+) regularly over the last 40,000 years, and is the visible expression of such a large- have been recorded in Tanzania (1910), they will undoubtedly occur again.