The Africa Network for Centres of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction celebrates its first forum

Nairobi, Kenya, July 24, 2024 - The Africa Network of Centres of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction (NoE) held its first forum on 22-23July, 2024, at the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in Nairobi, Kenya. Coordinated by UNDRR, RCMRD, United Nations University and other partners from across Africa bringing together over 30 participants, to discuss strategies for enhancing disaster resilience.

Launched in March 2023, the NoE is a partnership and platform that brings together academia, research institutions, and practitioners to enhance disaster risk management in Africa. Guided by user needs, members work collaboratively to deliver and share customized tools and training for increased implementation of the Sendai Framework, funded by the Government of Italy.

The NoE is currently comprised of nine institutions from Africa and Europe, the NoE is a direct response to the 2021 Africa Regional Platform for DRR Nairobi Declaration, which called for strengthened partnerships to address Africa's vulnerability to disasters. To expand its reach, the network opened registration for new members during its inaugural forum.

A key outcome of the forum was the establishment of two working groups: one focused on risk information generation and innovation, and another on capacity development. These working groups will be instrumental in driving the NoE's agenda and delivering concrete results. To guide these efforts, the forum produced a three-year roadmap outlining the network's priorities through 2027. This roadmap will serve as a blueprint for building capacity, fostering knowledge sharing, and advancing early warning systems across Africa.