Southeast Africa: Support the Establishment of a Technical Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation

DiMSUR infographic. Source: http://dimsur.org/about-us/

Context and Objectives 
The aim of the project was to contribute to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in southern Africa through establishing a technical centre for DRR and CCA which enhances inter-country cooperation, knowledge sharing, technical assistance and capacity development.

Main Activities and results
Under the leadership of the concerned countries and sub-regional disaster management institutions, the activity contributed to the planned initial phase for establishing a technical centre for DRR and CCA, through the following main activities:

• Operationalising the centre by recruiting appropriate technical expertise and defining its initial programme of activities, making sure that synergies are created with on-going initiatives and other institutions.
• Facilitating/delivering training and capacity development activities to countries’ civil servants in areas of growing interest.
• Designing at least two DRR/CCA technical programmes in the sub-region and identifying secure funding for their implementation; which would allow ensuring progressively the self-sustainability of the centre.

The following results were achieved:

• The establishment of the Technical Centre for Disaster Risk Management, Sustainability and Urban Resilience in Southern Africa (DiMSUR) was facilitated.
• DIMSUR's Executive Board and Executive Director are in place.
• Concept notes of two innovative DRR/CCA pilot projects were completed.
• DIMSUR is proactively seeking and establishing partnerships and synergies with relevant academic institutions, international/cooperating partners and the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) DRR Unit. DiMSUR is actively exploring and seeking funding opportunities to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Center.
• Preparation of the DiMSUR 10-Year Strategic Plan has been completed, seeking to maximize the Center's effectiveness and positive impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Partnership and Coordination

• The project was aligned with the DRR/CCA national programmes/strategies of the concerned countries, namely: the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper of Comoros; the 2011-2014 P overty Reduction Action Plan of Mozambique (target: “improving strategies adaptation to climate change”); the Priority 8 of the National Development Plan of Madagascar, approved in 2008; and the Theme 2 (disaster risk management and climate change adaptation) of the Malawi Growth and Development Plan 2006-2011.
• The process of the establishment of DiMSUR was facilitated by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), in cooperation with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), with the support of the European Commission Directorate-General Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and the ACP-EU Natural DRR Programme, managed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) at the World Bank.

Useful Links
The DiMSUR Website is accessible at: http://www.dimsur.org