The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to host a five-day regional workshop on Disaster Loss & Damage Databases attended by government representatives and colleagues from Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Togo. 

Hosted in Mombasa from 1 – 5 July, the event brought together representatives from National Disaster Management Agencies, the Ministries of Finance, National Institutes of Statistics, and Ministries for the Environment from the five attending countries and colleagues from UNDP Country Offices. Throughout the week, attendees jointly discussed the importance and challenges of loss and damage databases, and received in-depth technical training on collecting, processing and analyzing loss and damage databases.

By learning more about disaster loss and damage data, and their integration in disaster risk information systems, governments can better identify disaster and climate risks and undertake targeted resilience-building measures which promote risk-informed and sustainable development.

Despite contributing only a small fraction to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is bearing a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts. In 2022 alone, over 110 million people in Africa were directly impacted by weather, climate, and water-related hazards, resulting in economic damages exceeding US$ 8.5 billion. Climate adaptation, risk reduction, and resilience-building efforts are reducing these impacts, yet there are limits to what can be achieved. 

Co-ordinating the event, Lala Dabo from UNDP said: “Loss and damage describes the unavoidable impacts of climate change that persist despite efforts in mitigation and adaptation. Disaster loss and damage have gained significant attention in recent years, especially with adoption of the Loss and Damage Fund during COP28. This underscored the importance of addressing these impacts in developing countries. However, as discussions around the fund continue, it is crucial for governments to have systems in place to accurately record and estimate loss and damages for the effective utilization of this fund. 

In this five-day technical workshop, we brought together relevant government representatives from Kenya, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Togo to enhance their understanding and capacity in using loss and damage data. The training aimed to promote sustainable development and build resilient communities by equipping participants with the tools needed to systematically collect, analyze, and utilize disaster risk data - ensuring more risk informed development plans and policies.”

The five-day regional workshop was financially supported by the European Union (EU) through the “Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance and Recovery Capacities project”, which is a collaborative effort between the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). This joint program is dedicated to enhancing disaster risk governance, strengthening recovery capacities, and building resilience in vulnerable communities. By scaling-up community-based disaster risk reduction, enhancing capacity building activities, and conducting post-disaster needs assessments, the project aims to pave the way for a safer and more resilient future for communities facing disasters.