Partnership, Solidarity, Data Sovereignty Key to Tackling Disaster in Africa, Says Ethiopian Commissioner  

Addis Ababa, May 21, 2026 —Continental partnership, solidarity, data sovereignty and adjusting approaches to disaster risk reduction amid global changes are crucial to strengthening disaster risk reduction across Africa, Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam said.

Opening a two-day workshop on validating the 2023–2024 Africa Biennial Report for Disaster Reduction — a process officials described as part of efforts to assess progress and refine priorities for the coming years, at the African Union (AU) Headquarters today, the Commissioner noted that Africa has been working to put appropriate policies, strategies, frameworks, and indicators in place.

It must now evaluate progress in a way that reflects current realities, he added.

 

According to him, African governments must also adjust their approach to disaster risk reduction amid global changes, including worsening disaster conditions—both natural and man-made—and what he described as declining levels of solidarity in resource flows.

Shiferaw emphasized that disaster risk reduction cannot continue under the same mindset and momentum used years earlier, arguing that recent circumstances require updated strategies and stronger commitment.

The Commissioner pointed out the rising importance of data sovereignty, saying the validation effort should go beyond reviewing figures and instead examine how data is generated and used to support decision-making at both national and continental levels.

Shiferaw urged stronger collaboration through continental mechanisms such as lessons learned and shared experiences, while ensuring policies and frameworks are reviewed to match country-specific and regional contexts.

He cited ongoing efforts in Ethiopia to review existing frameworks, policies, regulations, and legal instruments, and referenced a humanitarian relief sovereignty initiative with related roadmaps and public engagement components.

 

The Commissioner also called for broader involvement of African citizens in disaster risk reduction initiatives, adding that such targets can only be achieved through meaningful participation and engagement at all levels.

In this respect, the workshop will help determine how Africa can accelerate implementation of priority action areas and global targets—along with continental additions—within the remaining years of the 2015–2030 Sendai Framework windows, Shiferaw stated.

On his part, Harsen Nyambe, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Director at the African Union Commission, called on member states to increase their financial support.

He emphasized that disaster response is a core priority for member states and that efforts to address it are already underway.

He said the Commission is meanwhile focusing on ensuring that Africa funds its own programs through existing decisions, while also working to attract private-sector investment to further broaden the resource base.

Nyambe added that the AU is exploring opportunities to engage global financing mechanisms, including the Loss and Damage Fund, and to leverage climate-change funding windows for disaster risk reduction (DRR), such as the Green Climate Fund.

 

He also highlighted the need to encourage investor participation to strengthen financing for DRR initiatives.

The Director further noted that the AU is moving toward an online data-collection platform in response to the rising costs of producing disaster reduction reports.

According to him, the new approach will allow the Commission to gather data from member states more efficiently.