The Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) represents 79 Member States that are among the most vulnerable countries to the impact of natural hazards, which are expected to become more frequent and severe as the impact of climate change is increasingly felt. Yet, the capacity of ACP states to prepare for and respond to these hazards is already extremely strained. 

Each ACP region faces its own set of challenges. Climate-informed policies and investments are essential to how African countries must contend with a growing and urbanizing population’s vulnerability to natural hazards. Meanwhile, countries in the Caribbean are confronting increased financial exposure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and years of unstable growth rates. And for Pacific states, rising sea levels threaten the very existence of low-lying atoll island nations. 

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Learn more about the program

About the ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Program

The ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Program is a partnership of the European Union (EU), the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), GFDRR and the World Bank. The objective of the Program is to contribute to reducing the impact of disasters caused by natural hazards, including those related to climate change and epidemics, and increase resilience in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to support their efforts to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The Program builds on the success of previous cooperation involving the OACPS Secretariat, the EU, and the World Bank-GFDRR through the ACP-EU Natural Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR) Program, an endeavor that has ensured a coordinated approach to strengthening climate and disaster resilience in ACP countries.

The Program has four components:

  • Component 1: Strengthen African Regional Institutions (RECs) Capacities. Provision of technical assistance, through knowledge creation and sharing, and capacity building, to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), with the aim of strengthening their role in disaster risk reduction and disaster response.
  • Component 2: Mainstream DRR and CCA into national and priority sector policies and investment planning. Provision of demand-driven support to ACP countries to provide the support necessary to mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in government policy and action. This aims at improving the design and creation of disaster risk financing tools and strategies, investment planning procedures, decision making capabilities, and other activities that enhance resilience and preparedness. Such efforts also support ACP countries in their efforts to attract additional financing for resilience investments.
  • Component 3: Improve urban and peri-urban resilience mechanisms in Central, Eastern and Western targeted African cities. Provision of dedicated support to Central, Eastern and Western African cities to address local urban climate and disaster risks. This demand-driven component seeks to coordinate with, and complement, existing programs from the World Bank, the European Union and other partners.
  • Component 4: Operational early warning systems in targeted ACP regions and countries. In alignment with the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Initiative (CREWS), the Program is working to ensure that the necessary skills, processes, institutions and partnerships are in place to provide more accurate, timely and exploitable forecasting products for officials, the private sector and end-users.
Rossella Della Monica
Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, GFDRR
Henriette B. Mampuya
Operations Officer, GFDRR
Partners

 

The Program is funded by the European Union and managed by the GFDRR. Activities are implemented by World Bank teams in close collaboration with the European Commission’s DG International Partnerships, Delegations of the European Union to ACP states, as well as beneficiary countries regional organizations, and development partners. 

The ACP-EU DRM program is part of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Intra-ACP Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Program, implemented by regional organizations and development partners. The OACPS Secretariat leads the coordination of the overall 11th EDF program. 

Actions that focus on the improvement of hydrometeorological services will be conducted in partnership with the CREWS Initiative. 

Projects

Component 1: Strengthen African Regional Institutions (RECs) Capacities.

Component 2: Mainstream DRR and CCA into national and priority sector policies and investment planning.

Component 3: Improve urban and peri-urban resilience mechanisms in Central, Eastern and Western targeted African cities.

Component 4: Operational early warning systems in targeted ACP regions and countries.