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

Earthquake

Volcano

Tsunami

Drought

Drought

Floods in Northern Ghana

Cyclone Bingiza in Madagascar

Huge Wildfire in South Africa

Hailstorm in Klerksdorp, Johannesburg, South Africa

Dust storm often occurs in South Africa

Storm at sea

J’burg’s Thunder/Lightning Storms famous in SA Summer

Windstorm

A landslide in Kenya

Woman cries for her 4 children lost in landslide, Bududa, Uganda

Landslide in Taiwan

Soil Erosion in Kenya

Coastal Erosion in Gran Canarias Island

Erosion in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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)

Thank You