Making the case for disaster risk reduction in Africa
Despite the development of strategies, policy and programme instruments, investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR) has been lagging behind requirements needed to effectively reduce the risk of disasters in Africa. A review of constraints to DRR in Africa showed that low investment in DRR is due to several constraints, including: inadequate knowledge of DRR measures, weak institutional frameworks and incentives for DRR, low evidence of the cost-effectiveness of DRR measures, low capacity for costbenefit analysis (CBA) of DRR interventions, and, inadequate consideration of the role of non-efficiency factors in investing in DRR (UNISDR et al. 2004).
To increase the pace, scope and impact of DRR, there is the need to significantly increase investment of financial, human and knowledge resources in prevention, mitigation, response and reconstruction interventions. Hence, UNISDR-Africa commissioned this study on the cost and benefits of DRR measures that can be used as an advocacy tool by National Platforms to help sensitize decision-makers and the public on the need to increase investment in DRR.