Status of disaster risk reduction in the Sub-Saharan Africa region: January 2008

The report 2008 on the status of disaster risk reduction in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region has been prepared to increase awareness of the importance of disaster reduction as an integral part of sustainable development. It is the result of ongoing efforts by the World Bank, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), and countries in the SSA region to effectively integrate disaster risk reduction into development processes.

The findings of this report are based on contributions from Governments at the Third National Platform Consultative meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, 2006 and at the West Africa Sub-regional conference on hazard risk reduction in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 2007. This report documents the situation of disasters and disaster risk reduction in the region, identifies gaps in this area, and draws attention to related needs for remedial or enhancement actions. The overall conclusion of the report is that the region has made significant progress in disaster risk reduction, especially in terms of policies, institutions, and organizations.