December 2011: The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) has released a policy brief titled “Effective measures to build resilience in Africa to adapt to climate change.” The brief, issued during the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, builds on information provided by countries in progress reports on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Aiming to provide practical and objective guidance for policy issues related to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation, the eight-page brief also builds on the findings of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and indicates that opportunities exist to create synergies in financing for disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change.

The brief finds that, while African countries are committed and investing funds to reduce risk to floods and droughts, these efforts are too little. According to UN/ISDR, these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of addressing disaster risk through public expenditures. [UN/ISDR Briefing Note 4]