BY TANDZILE DLAMINI
MBABANE – Over 150 delegates from across Southern Africa will gather in Eswatini from 15 to 19 September 2025 for the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Forum: SADC Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and Regional Drought Resilience Workshop, a landmark event that aims to transform how the region responds to drought.
Hosted by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) of Eswatini in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and supported by the World Bank Group, the Forum will officially launch two groundbreaking initiatives: the SADC–Eswatini Disaster Risk Reduction Platform and the Eswatini Drought Centre of Excellence.
The event, held at Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini, will bring together governments, international organisations, civil society, and academia to share innovative solutions, exchange best practices, and celebrate drought resilience champions. According to the organisers, the goal is to shift from reactive crisis response to proactive preparedness, ensuring communities and economies are better equipped for future droughts.
Drought is one of Southern Africa’s most persistent and devastating natural hazards. Unlike sudden disasters, it creeps in slowly but disrupts agriculture, energy, health, and livelihoods, deepening poverty and food insecurity. In Eswatini, the 2016 El Niño-induced drought cost nearly 18.6% of the government’s total expenditure, crippling water supply, damaging ecosystems, and stalling economic activity.
The new Drought Centre of Excellence will serve as a hub for technical research, policy development, and knowledge exchange, helping countries anticipate and reduce risks before they escalate. Meanwhile, the SADC–Eswatini DRR Platform will drive policy dialogue, regional coordination, and multi-stakeholder engagement.
Organisers highlight that this proactive approach is in line with global best practices and the principles of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which call for integrating scientific forecasting with community-based knowledge. The Forum’s outcomes are expected to directly strengthen early warning systems, protect development investments, and safeguard lives and livelihoods.
By investing in preparedness, the Forum envisions a more resilient and prosperous Southern Africa, capable of withstanding the growing challenges of climate change.
(Courtesy Pic)
