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ACP Regional Experts discuss natural disaster risk management and climate change challenges

Brussels, 26 April 2018/ ACP: Experts from all the 6 ACP regions Cariforum, Pacific, Southern Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and Eastern Africa gathered on 24-25 April 2018 in Brussels to discuss natural risk management and climate change challenges in ACP countries.

As the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States include some of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable nations in the world, the meeting served as a solid framework to guide the ACP group’s follow up strategy for Disaster Risk Management for the next 5-year period 2018-2023.

Therefore, ACP regional experts from several key institutions such as the African Development Bank, African Union Commission, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, Economic Community of West African States, Economic Community of Central African States, Southern Africa Development Community, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, University of the West Indies, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and University of South Pacific, shared their views and experiences during the meeting.

As part of the ACP group ‘s strategy to include ACP climate change experts into the natural disaster risk management experts’ policy dialogue on resilience and adaptation, representatives from other regional institutions such as the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa, the Pacific Regional Environmental Program, Pacific Island Forum, East African Community and Indian Ocean Commission, were also invited to add their experiences to the discussions.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

a) Facilitate the 6 ACP Natural Disaster Risk Management regional institutions to report on the current implementation of the 10th EDF programs, and showcase the extent to which it positively contributed to the national and regional priorities of their respective institutions’ Work Programs.

b) Facilitate ACP Natural Disaster Risk Management Regional Experts to present their respective institution’s 11th EDF Disaster Risk Management Concept Note proposal.

c) Provide a platform for regional inputs into the development of a program to contribute to the resilience of ACP populations through the improvement of preparedness, Risk Management and Resilient Recovery, to be funded under the 11th EDF.