What: AUC and IFRC High level Launch of the 2020 World Disaster Report in Africa Region under the theme “Come Heat or High Water: tackling the humanitarian impacts of the climate crisis together”.

When: Wednesday 17 March 2021

Time: 15:30 EAT (GMT+3)

Where: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cfyA_xGMTjqRplUY0mr0eg

A confirmation email containing information about joining the event will be issued after the registration is approved by the event Organizers. 

Who: The meeting will be co-organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) through its Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC).

Why: The African context is dominated by many disasters including Weather & Climate related disaster such as floods, droughts, cyclones, storms; Diseases and pandemics; Displacement and population movement; Conflict and technological related disasters that has impacted on millions of people and resulted in massive damages and loss of infrastructure. The frequency and intensity of climatological events are increasing substantially. The average number of climate and weather-related disasters per decade has risen nearly 35% since 1990S. This means more powerful storms, heatwaves breaking temperature records and more floods among other many extremes. Losses of natural resources, food insecurity, direct and indirect health impacts and displacement are likewise on the rise. More communities are being affected by concurrent and consecutive disasters leaving them with little to recover before the next shock arrives. Although we are living in a climate crisis, we don’t have to accept.

The World Disaster Report 2020: Come Heat or High Water: Tackling the Humanitarian Impacts of the Climate Crisis together was launched globally on the 17th November 2020. The 2020 World Disaster Report highlights how the impacts of climate change are already devastating lives and livelihoods every year and how they are likely to get worse without immediate and determined actions. The report places great emphasis on although we are living in a climate crisis, we do not have to accept climate disasters. The World Disaster Report 2020 is based on substantial research and data analysis with inputs from dozens of Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies around the world. It demonstrates the work and expertise of National Societies in scaling up climate action in the form of climate smart programming, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action, greening our programming, promoting climate smart disaster laws and more. 

The launch of the World Disaster Report 2020 is aimed at bringing to the fore key findings statistics, examples, and clear recommendations that we need, to go to governments and donors, development actors, climate actors, fellow humanitarians to promote a better, more effective, and more inclusive approach to climate action. The launch will also set a stage for a concrete suggestion going forward on policies and implementation arrangements needed to support the scale up and effectiveness of climate action in Africa by African Stakeholders. The World Disaster Report 2020 is a concrete RCRC response to the Africa Union Agenda 2063 aspirations specifically Aspiration One - A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development – Goal number 7 through the various chapters specifically chapters 4, 5,6 and 7.

Objectives:

The objectives of the event include to:

• Advocate: Mobilize attention on the increasing vulnerabilities and disparity between existing global commitments and climate action by creating wider knowledge on key findings in the World Disaster Report 2020 to governments, donors, practitioners, private sector, and academia.
• Knowledge Sharing on Opportunities for Action: Raise attention to the RCRC Pan African initiatives to address climate challenges in the Region and other related opportunities in the Africa region.
• Engagements: Highlight the perspective of various stakeholders on current climate crisis and agree on the next steps for Red Cross Red Crescent Societies in Africa and relevant stakeholders on for Africa Wide actions and strategies for climate action.

Expected Outcome:

The event will have the following outcomes:

• Call to urgent action on addressing adaptation needs of the most vulnerable and those most exposed to climate risks.
• Engagement of relevant stakeholders in Africa to support scaling up of climate action through the 4 Pan African Initiatives and linking these to other initiatives on the Continent.

Participants:

The targeted participants for this include African National Societies, Partner National Societies, African Union Commission, Regional Economic Commissions, African Union Member States, International Government Representatives to AU, United Nations Bodies in Africa, Stakeholders (practitioners, private sector, academia) interested in Climate and Environmental crisis, and IFRC staff at the Regional, CCSTs and COs.

Please join the event: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cfyA_xGMTjqRplUY0mr0eg

Representatives of the media are invited to cover this event to be held from 15:30-17:00.

For further information media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Molalet Tsedeke | Media Coordinator, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission | E-mail: MolaletT@africa-union.org ; +251-911630631 

IFRC Nairobi Mr. Euloge Ishimwe | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies | E-mail: euloge.ishimwe@ifrc.org, +254 731 688 613

IFRC Geneva, Mr. Matthew Cochrane | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies | E-mail: , matthew.cochrane@ifrc.org, +41 79 251 80 39

 Mr. Kai Gatkuoth| Technical Coordinator for Disaster Risk Reduction| Directorate of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission | E-mail: KaiG@africa-union.org |WhatsApp: +251 909537884

For further information:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia