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The Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has urged Southern African Development Community (SADC) parliamentarians to domesticate the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula was speaking at the opening symposium of the 54th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF). The Plenary Assembly session is currently underway in Port Louis, Mauritius and will conclude on 26 November. The theme of the four-day session is: “The Role of Parliaments in Promoting Coordination for Enhanced Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Planning in the SADC Region.”

The Speaker said the theme recognises the pivotal role parliaments play in ensuring disaster risk reduction and preparedness within the SADC region.

“By domesticating the framework parliaments can advocate for legislative action, oversight, and the allocation of resources to strengthen disaster risk reduction recovery planning initiatives,” said Ms Mapisa-Nqakula. She added that parliamentarians have the responsibility to champion policies and mechanisms that empower local communities, particularly women and the youth, enhance early warning systems, and facilitate international cooperation to build resilience in the region to ensure collective preparedness in the face of disasters.

The 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius identified Southern Africa as a climate change hotspot. The report projected a concerning trend towards drier and substantially warmer conditions, even under the thresholds of 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.

“This situation is anticipated to further jeopardise the region’s food security, particularly in relation to cattle and maize production. It has become clear that no country in our region will remain untouched by the risks and disasters associated with climate change,” she said.

The Speaker assured her counterparts that South Africa stands ready to collaborate with regional partners and parliamentarians to enhance disaster risk reduction. “By fostering coordination, legislative action, and resource allocation, parliaments in the region can significantly contribute to building a more resilient and secure future for our communities and the environment,” she said.

The Sendai Framework focuses on the adoption of measures which address the three dimensions of disaster risk (exposure to hazards, vulnerability and capacity, and hazards’ characteristics) to prevent the creation of new risk, reduce existing risk and increase resilience. The Sendai Framework outlines seven global targets to guide and against which to assess progress.

Issued by the Parliament of South Africa