Keywords

Africa; disaster risk; weather, climate change; disaster risk reduction

Abstarct

Droughts, floods and storms affect millions of people in Africa every year, frequently with devastating impacts. The multiple stresses on African countries, particularly from poverty, infectious disease, fragile environments, limited institutional capacities and unsustainable development, mean that even modest fluctuations in weather or climate conditions can lead to severe consequences. However, there is sufficient understanding of how these vulnerabilities arise and compound each other, and therefore of how to act to reduce the risks. Disaster risk reduction encompasses three main areas of activity – assessing the risks, practices to reduce and manage risk, and policies and institutions to lead and support these activities. Climate change from rising greenhouse gas concentrations is an additional serious long-term threat, though there is little scientific (IPCC) evidence so far of material changes in the frequency or intensity of disaster-producing floods, droughts or storms, contrary to popular belief. Instead, the increased numbers of climate-related disasters over the last few decades appear to be mostly due to growing vulnerability and closer awareness and reporting of events. Attention therefore must remain focused on the vulnerabilities and risks associated with existing climate variability. Nevertheless, climate adaptation initiatives provide a welcome opportunity to advance the reduction of disaster risk. Conversely, disaster risk reduction provides a potent means to advance the adaptation agenda.