JOHANNESBURG: Representatives from Southern African countries and regional and international disaster-management organisations began a four-day meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday to strengthen preparedness and coordinate a regional response to the expected impacts of El Nino during the 2026/27 summer season.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Disaster Preparedness and Response Planning Workshop, running from Tuesday to Friday, is focusing on strengthening regional disaster preparedness, enhancing anticipatory action and improving coordination in responding to emerging humanitarian risks across the region.
The meeting comes as SADC's latest regional climate outlook forecasts below-normal rainfall across much of central and southern parts of the region during the 2026/27 rainy season, accompanied by above-average temperatures in most of the region. The outlook identifies a developing El Nino as a key climate driver.
The forecast also pointed to increased drought risks in large parts of the region, while wetter conditions are expected in some northern and northeastern areas.
Pumeza Tyali, director for Disaster Risk Assessment and Early Warning at South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre, said the meeting was aimed at strengthening the region's disaster-risk reduction mechanisms and ensuring that countries can respond more quickly to emerging hazards.
"We want to build a safer and resilient SADC. We want to review contingency planning arrangements and evaluate our preparedness measures to ensure we respond in a timely, actionable way," Tyali told Xinhua, adding that particular attention should be paid to vulnerable groups, including women, children and persons with disabilities.
Manuel Lutango, head of Disaster Risk Reduction at the SADC Secretariat, said the region needed to prepare before disasters occur rather than rely primarily on emergency response after they strike.
He cited the World Bank's assessment that investing in preparedness is less costly than responding after disasters have occurred, saying the region needs to mobilize resources in advance so that assistance can be deployed rapidly when emergencies arise.
The workshop is expected to conclude Friday with recommendations on regional preparedness and response measures, resource requirements and mechanisms for mobilising funding.
The meeting forms part of wider efforts by SADC to translate seasonal climate forecasts into early action. At its 46th Ordinary Summit in August, SADC leaders urged member states to strengthen early warning systems, drought preparedness and climate-smart agriculture in anticipation of El Nino-related climate shocks.