Implications of El Niño to the private sector in Africa
- English
Time
15:00 East Africa Time
Background
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of engaging the private sector in DRR. This is reflected in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which calls for "enhanced cooperation and partnerships between the public sector, the private sector, and civil society." The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 recognizes the private sector as a major stakeholder group and states that “There is a need for the public and private sectors and civil society organizations, as well as academia and scientific and research institutions, to work more closely together and to create opportunities for collaboration, and for businesses to integrate disaster risk into their management practices”. It is therefore key to engage the private sector in Africa to improve their understanding of rise and to invest in disaster risk reduction measures for resilience.
Building upon this, the private sector must now prepare for the impact of the global El Niño phenomenon which was officially declared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 4 July 2023. The impacts of El Niño appear in the form of droughts, floods, and fires which affect food insecurity, and development, and disrupt business continuity. These adverse impacts tend to recur and can, therefore be anticipated, planned for, and mitigated, if not avoided altogether. The Africa ARISE Network, in collaboration with Connecting Business Initiative, are therefore planning this webinar to help the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa understand the implications of the El Niño phenomenon and the role enterprises can take in minimizing loss and damages across their communities.
Speakers
- Jully Ouma, Climate Officer and GIS/RS officer at IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC)
- Kareem Elbayar, Private Sector Engagement Advisor at United Nations OCHA
Objectives of the meeting
- Private Sector stakeholders understand the El Niño phenomenon and the affiliated disaster and climate risk their enterprises may face because of the phenomenon.
- Promotion of private sector involvement in identifying, understanding, and acting to reduce losses and damages caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
Expected outcomes of the meeting
- Private sector partners comprehend potential disaster and climate risk they will face during the El Niño phenomenon; and have steps they can take to mitigate such risk.
Interested in becoming a member of the ARISE Network, apply here