The Regional Platform gathered more than 800 participants coming from almost every African country and representing civil society, International Organizations and Member States. The event addressed key issues such as risk governance, financing DRR, and the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon on disaster risk in Southern Africa. It provided an opportunity for all the participants to engage in discussions on crucial DRR topics, learn about new tools and methods and engage with stakeholders from different areas.

The Platform, hosted by the Government of Namibia under the theme “Act Now for the Resilient Africa We Want,” took place amidst one of the worst droughts in the Southern African Development Community region, affecting 58 million people.

Set in a country experiencing more and more intense drought, the event resulted in the adoption of a joint declaration renewing the Member States’ commitment to Disaster Risk Reduction. The Declaration addresses the key challenges the continent face in building resilience.

The event called for mainstreaming DRR in development programs and aligned DRR strategies with sustainable development and climate resilience policies, ensuring coherent and comprehensive approaches across all levels of governance as climate-related disasters continue to grow.