Partnership, Solidarity, Data Sovereignty Key to Tackling Disaster in Africa, Says Ethiopian Commissioner

Addis ababa: Continental partnership, solidarity, data sovereignty, and adjusting approaches to disaster risk reduction amid global changes are crucial to strengthening disaster risk reduction across Africa, Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam said.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the Commissioner made these remarks while opening a two-day workshop on validating the 2023-2024 Africa Biennial Report for Disaster Reduction at the African Union (AU) Headquarters. This initiative is part of efforts to assess progress and refine priorities for the coming years. The Commissioner noted that Africa has been working to establish appropriate policies, strategies, frameworks, and indicators.He emphasized the need to evaluate progress in a way that reflects current realities, adding that African governments must adjust their approach to disaster risk reduction amid global changes, including worsening natural and man-made disaster conditions and declining levels of solidarity in res ource flows.Shiferaw stressed that disaster risk reduction cannot continue under outdated mindsets and momentum, arguing for updated strategies and stronger commitments. He pointed out the rising importance of data sovereignty, suggesting that the validation effort should examine how data is generated and used to support decision-making at national and continental levels.The Commissioner urged stronger collaboration through continental mechanisms, such as shared experiences, while ensuring policies and frameworks are reviewed to match country-specific and regional contexts. He cited ongoing efforts in Ethiopia to review existing frameworks, policies, regulations, and legal instruments, and referenced a humanitarian relief sovereignty initiative.Shiferaw also called for broader involvement of African citizens in disaster risk reduction initiatives, asserting that such targets can only be achieved through meaningful participation and engagement at all levels. He stated that the workshop will help determin e how Africa can accelerate the implementation of priority action areas and global targets within the 2015-2030 Sendai Framework windows.Harsen Nyambe, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Director at the African Union Commission, called on member states to increase their financial support, emphasizing that disaster response is a core priority. Nyambe mentioned that efforts to address disaster response are already underway, focusing on Africa funding its own programs while attracting private-sector investment to broaden resources.Nyambe added that the AU is exploring opportunities to engage global financing mechanisms, including the Loss and Damage Fund, and to leverage climate-change funding windows such as the Green Climate Fund. He highlighted the need to encourage investor participation to strengthen financing for disaster risk reduction initiatives.The Director noted that the AU is moving toward an online data-collection platform to efficiently gather data from member states, addressing the ris ing costs of producing disaster reduction reports.