During the 29th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum, ISDR and patners jointly held a Special Session on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that aimed to move from a “fire brigade approach” to an approach based on risk reduction for sustainable development, thereby assisting in preventing drought emergencies in the greater Horn of Africa.
3 September 2011: Flavia Munaaba, Ugandan Minister of State for the Environment, opened the Special Joint Session on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) during the 29th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF29). The Special Session was convened to effect a paradigm shift for addressing climate change and risks within the region, with participants highlighting progress in reducing drought risk so far.
Co-organized by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Application Centre, the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), the Special Session was held during the GHACOF29, which took place in Entebbe, Uganda, from 1-3 September 2011. The outcomes and recommendations of the GHACOF29 and the Special Session will feed into a Heads of State Summit planned from 8-9 September 2011 by the Kenyan Prime Minister, which will discuss ways to “put an end to drought emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa.”
The session aimed to move from a “fire brigade approach” to an approach based on risk reduction for sustainable development, thereby assisting in preventing drought emergencies in the greater Horn of Africa. UN/ISDR stressed the need to ensure integration and coherence of DRR initiatives through collaboration with IGAD. [UN/ISDR Press Release] [IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre]