26 June 2015: Parliamentarians from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have joined in an effort to reduce the impacts caused by natural threats, epidemics and manmade hazards, by setting up a mechanism that aims to boost governance to reduce disaster risk and reinforce the capacity of populations to build sustainable livelihoods. The East African Disaster Risk Reduction Parliamentarian Platform was established during a June 2015 meeting, organized by the Government of Uganda with support from the World Bank and in collaboration with the Uganda Parliamentarian Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Participants underscored the need to align existing national and regional structures with the Sendai Framework for DRR, adopted in March 2015, which aims to improve risk governance.

Platform participants elected Ugandan Member of Parliament Alex Bakunda Byarugaba as Chair. In an interview with the UN Office for DRR (UNISDR), Bakunda Byarugaba explained how parliamentarians can make a difference in the region, including by lobbying governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international communities to fund DRR programmes. He stressed the need to increase community awareness to avoid future loss of lives and poverty, and to ensure the decentralization of DRR programmes in order to build resilience and capacity.

He highlighted the region’s commitment to push legislation on DRR issues in parliaments, noting that Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda already have DRR policies at various stages of legislation, while Burundi and Tanzania will be assisted in developing their own. He noted the intention of holding rotational meetings and visits among legislators from the five partner States, to, inter alia, learn about best practices on DRR. [UNISDR Press Release]