Information preparedness and community engagement for El Niño in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region

This brief describes the implications of El Niño in the East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) initiatives, based on previous comparable weather events. El Niño can be viewed as a multi-hazard event, and considerations for information needs cut across different populations and risks, including direct weather-related hazards, reduced agricultural production, greater food insecurity and malnutrition, increased transmission of infectious diseases and effects on health care access. 

Key considerations from this brief include:

• Provide forecasting information and associated calls to action and advice at a hyperlocal level, and early enough to allow people to take appropriate action. 
• Provide local information on actions people can take to adapt or protect themselves. This should be based on local practices and consultation with affected populations, and should reflect what is structurally feasible action for people to take.  
• Align planned information provision to multi-sectoral preparedness and response activities, and ensure coordination between RCCE agencies and actors and local disaster risk reduction and hazard management entities.   
• Align resource provision and information, both in terms of providing the resources needed for people to act, and in ensuring that the resources provided reflect the actions communities are advised to take. 
• Co-produce scientific information and forecast products with affected communities to make sure they are locally appropriate and take account of existing local actions and knowledge systems.