African Regional Implementation Workshop on Hazards and DisastersDakar, Senegal
26-27 September, 2012
Overview of Implementation Activities of ICSU ROA’s Hazards and Disasters
Science Plan
By
Dr. R.L.K.GloverProgramme Specialist: Biological Sciences
ICSU ROA
INTRODUCTION (1) Sub-Saharan Africa prone to many types of natural and
human-induced hazards and disasters, most commonly:
Geological
Hydro-meteorological
INTRODUCTION (2)
These events may occur naturally; but some triggered or exacerbated by human activity
INTRODUCTION (3)ICSU ROA Science Plan on Hazards and
Disasters
prepared and published in September 2007
to revitalize efforts for addressing impact of these hazards and disasters on African communities
through a framework of research projects for better understanding of the problem
and developing strategies to mitigate them and improve resilience of vulnerable communities
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES (1) Task teams of scientists from Africa and African
scientists in the diaspora established to develop research projects in the two common hazard and disaster groupings- Geo- and Hydro-meteorological
Project HD01 on Geo-hazards aims at: assessing and mitigating earthquake hazards, characterising Africa’s active volcanoes for
appropriate hazard monitoring
Project HD02 on Hydro-meteorological hazards and disasters in Africa: vulnerability and resilience
is focused on: research on drought events and floods, and the resilience of communities to these events
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES (2) Proposals sent by ICSU ROA to a number of funders
but none received funding Scoping workshop in March, 2012 merged and transformed task teams of two groups
into a consolidated research consortium to: o integrate research on disaster risko recast research proposals -- to focus on key challenges in Science Plan, e.g. adequately address vulnerability, resilience, mitigation and disaster management issues
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES (3) -- achieve multi-/transdisciplinarity by involving social scientists and engineers -- ensure participation by civil society, public sector, national members and scientific unions, municipalities, private sector and NGOs
o refine scope, with realistic budgets, depending on funders
o identify and submit proposals to potential funders (UNDERWAY???)
Book on Hazards and Disasters in sub-Saharan Africa being developed for publication with sponsorship from the African Institute of South Africa (AISA)