International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – October 13, 2024 

“Empowering the next generation for a resilient future”.

Each year, natural disasters claim millions of lives around the world and result in huge human, economic and environmental losses. The recent increase in the occurence and intensity of disasters is exacerbated by climate change, growing urbanization and environmental degradation. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), more than 7,000 major events were recorded worldwide between 2000 and 2019, affecting 4 billion people and causing some 1.23 million deaths. Disasters' driven economic losses have also increased, reaching more than US$2.97 trillion over this period.
Africa, in particular, is one of the continents that are most vulnerable to natural disasters, due to its heavy reliance on natural resources, widespread poverty and often inadequate early warning systems. The continent is commonly hit by disasters such as drought, floods and cyclones.

Drought is the most common and devastating natural disaster in Africa. The Sahel region, for instance, is regularly hit by droughts that affect agricultural production, blow up food insecurity and increase forced migration. According to FAO, an estimated 36 million people in 16 African countries faced the risk of food crises in 2023, mainly due to prolonged drought episodes and land degradation.
Floods have become more frequent, particularly in the sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa regions. In 2020, floods hit several African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria and Sudan and compelled thousands of people to move, destroyed infrastructure and worsened health problems. The combined impact of climate change and poor watershed management amplifies these risks.

Even cyclones leave a significant impact, even though they are less frequent in Africa than in other parts of the world. Cyclone Idai, which hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in 2019, led to the loss of more than 1,300 human lives and affected millions of other people, illustrating the vulnerability of African coastal States to these events.
Wildfires, often triggered by human activities, particularly impact southern and central Africa, while deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices sharpen these fires, which destroy ecosystems and weaken biodiversity.
In order to face these threats, many African countries are striving to align their national strategies with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), which places particular emphasis on youth engagement in risk management policies. Still, much remains to be done to ensure inclusive and participatory implementation. Initiatives such as the African Union’s African Early Warning System (AEWS) and the Community Early Warning System (CEWS) in local communities are living examples of the African commitment to reducing disaster risks on a continental scale. 
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is celebrated on October 13 and stresses the importance of international and regional cooperation to strengthen disaster prevention and response capacities. It is also a call for urgent action to address environmental challenges that aggravate the vulnerability of the populations, particularly in Africa. The 2024 theme: “The Role of Education in Protecting and Empowering Youth for a Disaster-Free Future,” is a reminder of the importance of education in preparing the next generation to face climate and environmental challenges and the exacerbated impacts of disasters, particularly in Africa.

Empowering young people is giving them the possibility to reduce their vulnerability and the sensitivity of their communities. In Africa, innovative initiatives are increasingly involving young people in reforestation, land restoration and environmental monitoring projects. As part of the iconic Great Green Wall initiative, for example, young people play a key role in combating desertification, thereby strengthening their own resilience to the impacts of climate change.
In addition, technology and social networks offer young Africans powerful tools to raise awareness, mobilize and act for risk reduction. Through digital platforms, they can access real-time information and participate in awareness-raising campaigns or come up with innovative solutions to disasters.
In this context, the OSS provides support to its partner countries in the development and implementation of community Multi-Risk Early Warning Systems (MR-EWS), as well as raising awareness among local communities and training young people on disaster management. In 2023, the collaboration between the OSS and its partners in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger made it possible to train 3,300 people, including 1,400 students from the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex surrounding communities, in environmental education and disaster management thanks to the Multi-Risk (Droughts, Floods and Wildfires) Early Warning System.

Early warning systems (EWS) are an essential tool for detecting and assessing risks and quickly informing the authorities and populations of upcoming threats, thus enabling prevention and preparation measures to be taken. Whether to face climate-related disasters such as hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, or man-made crises such as epidemics or conflicts, EWSs play a crucial role in protecting lives and livelihoods.
Speaking of the environmental diplomacy for the year 2024, the OSS will organize events on MR-EWS on the occasion of CoPs 29 on climate change and 16 on desertification, which will take place respectively in Baku and Riyadh. In particular, with the release of a document that aims to provide an overview of the EWS benefits, based on the main global initiatives in this field. It focuses particularly on the WAP complex to concretely illustrate the principles and approaches adopted for the establishment of this system. By emphasizing the essential role of the WAP complex MR-EWS in the protection of the populations and ecosystems, this document highlights the pressing need to build early warning capacities across the African continent. This will reduce the impacts of natural disasters and improve climate change adaptation. 

Together, through education, action and youth engagement, let us build a more resilient future to face climate challenges. Young people are the key to sustainable development and better readiness for the climate challenges that threaten their future.