From February 13-15, representatives from 50 African nations will meet in Arusha, Tanzania to take part in the Fourth Africa Regional Platform (ARP) for Disaster Risk Reduction. The primary goal is to address the challenges of building a disaster resilient society. 

In a report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Pedro Basabe, head of the UNISDR regional office in Africa, notes that, “with global warming affecting agriculture and livelihoods in a continent where agriculture contributes 50 [percent] of total exports and 21 [percent] of total GDP, it is evident that long-term action must lead to sustainable development policies which take account of these challenges. Climate change adaption, disaster risk reduction and poverty reduction policies need to be integrated into the policies, budgets and planning of African countries and institutions.” He goes on to say, “Protecting African livelihoods requires international, regional and country approaches that recognize and act on the overlap of conflict and severe weather hazards.”

The UNISDR report on the forthcoming conference details how “the Africa Regional Platform allows countries to highlight the progress they have made in implementing the Extended Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2006-2015) and to develop a regional position for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 19-23 May 2013 in Geneva.”