ECOWAS hosts a workshop on the use of the risk information for the humanitarian actors

About 30 humanitarian actors converged in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria on the 30^th of January, 2024, for a workshop, organized by ECOWAS and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) as part of the project titled “Building Disasters and Climate Resilience in Niger.” The project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management (MAHGC) of Niger, African Risk Capacity (ARC) Agency, and the CIMA Research Foundation, with financial support from the Government of Italy.

The workshop is expected to address overlapping crises globally, especially in Africa, where over 47.7 million people are displaced due to climate and economic issues. It aims to enhance disaster and climate resilience in Niger, collaborating with various organizations, including the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management of Niger, ARC Agency, and CIMA Research Foundation. It received financial support from the Government of Italy.

Given West Africa’s exposure to extreme climate, humanitarian actions are crucial in the face of instability and conflict. The workshop highlighted the ECOWAS Disaster Operation Centre, part of the AMHEWAS network, inaugurated in Abuja. AMHEWAS, initiated in 2019, seeks to strengthen data exchange and analysis for early warning systems at national, regional, and continental levels.

The workshop involved understanding the ECOWAS Situation Room’s short to medium-term risk assessment, exploring the Niger Country Risk Profile for medium to long-term assessment, and discussing flood and drought components. Practical exercises with risk information, applications of early warning/early action, and strategies for integrating risk information into food security were conducted. Gaps in humanitarian preparedness in Niger were identified, and opportunities for improvement and innovation in decision-making using risk information were explored.