IGAD Regional Training on Disaster Risk Assessment, Monitoring and Early Warning
As enshrined in the Sendai Framework the major priority areas and the global targets set to be achieved between 2015 and 2030 require resources and a set of capacity to effectively achieve the targets as stated. This in turn call, in turn,close collaboration and harmonization of the major activities on disaster risk reduction to deliver the national to global commitments. The role of capacity and capacity building in this endeavor is indispensable and needs to be undertaken incessantly. The IGAD region, as a hotspot for major disaster risks mainly of drought, floods, landslides, among others, has been affected with significant impacts to the lives and property of the communities in the region which is a setback to the sustainable development efforts in the region.
In recognition of the global, continental and regional commitments for Disaster Risk Reduction, the IGAD DRM program has been working towards a safer region through various engagements with member states. The DRM program has been working with member countries from regional DRM policy formulation to several consultative meetings and mapping of disasters and several capacity building undertakings. This regional training workshop is a continuation of the efforts by the DRM program towards reducing the impacts of disasters in the region; including by its current DRM project entitled “ Building Resilience through Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation”.
This regional technical training workshop is aimed at building capacity of technical officers on disaster risk assessment, disaster monitoring and early warning systems using Earth Observation (EO) and geospatial technologies. The training workshop is aimed to strengthen national efforts to achieve global frameworks to national efforts in DRM/R. More specifically, the training is expected to contribute to the first priority of Sendai -Understanding Risk- and seventh goal of Sendai which calls for the establishment of a multi-hazard early warning system. The training workshop also provides a perfect opportunity to cross-fertilize good practices on disaster assessment, monitoring, and early warning among member states.
Rationale for this training workshop
This capacity building training workshop is organized with three-fold benefit: First, it will provide a platform to bring-in technical experts to discuss disaster risk assessment, monitoring and early warning methods and tools across countries and allow for cross-fertilization of best practices. Second, the training will enable countries to build capacities on disaster risk monitoring and early warning with case examples from countries and the IGAD/ICPAC platforms on seasonal and monthly monitoring of drought and flood early warning. Third, it provides feedback to the regional platforms that are already in place and also helps to inform the planned ones in relation to the need of member states/countries.
The combined outcome of the training will be learning geospatial data, tools and web platforms used from data preparation to web-based sharing of disaster assessment, monitoring and early warning products, experience sharing andharmonization of tools and procedures towards achieving national, regional, continental and global targets in disaster risk reduction.