Maputo, Mozambique, 15 October 2026 – African ministers and heads of delegation adopted the Maputo Ministerial Communiqué today, concluding three days of discussions on how to finance disaster prevention, strengthen institutions and protect communities before hazards become disasters. The International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Africa presented new evidence on rising losses, along with country experience and regional investment proposals to help governments put resilience into practice.

Convened by the African Union Commission and the Government of Mozambique from 13 to 15 October 2026, following pre-conference events on 12 October, the conference brought together governments, regional institutions, financing and development partners, civil society and technical experts under the theme “Scaling Proactive Governance and Strategic Investment for Disaster Risk Reduction and a Resilient Africa”.

Speaking at the opening, H.E. Daniel Chapo, President of Mozambique and African Union Champion for Disaster Risk Management, called for investment in preparedness, shock-resistant infrastructure, and early warnings that reach people in time to act.

“Responding after a disaster strikes is no longer enough. We must anticipate. We must prepare. And we must act before lives and livelihoods are lost,” he said.

The Fourth Biennial Report on the Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa, launched during the opening ceremony, underscored the scale of the challenge. It documented an increase in reported disasters from 612 in 2021–2022 to 719 in 2023–2024. During the latter period, African Union Member States reported more than 65,000 disaster-related deaths and approximately US$9.8 billion in direct economic losses. Recurrent shocks destroy assets and disrupt services, forcing families to spend savings on rebuilding and governments to divert development resources to repeated repairs.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, urged Ministers and partners to pursue measurable and adequately financed commitments.

“Our citizens will judge us not by the declarations we adopt, but by the risks we reduce and the lives and livelihoods we protect,” he said.

That focus on public investment also appeared in the remarks of Dr Catherine Sozi, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Mozambique, who called for embedding prevention in development planning.

“Every investment must take risk into account. We cannot continue building today what tomorrow’s disasters could destroy,” she said.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) contributed to this agenda through consultations on regional resilience investment and technical sessions examining how risk information, financing and institutional capacity can improve decisions. These discussions linked protecting communities and livelihoods with opportunities in water management, agriculture, urban development, and regional trade.

Ahead of the conference, Member States examined the proposed SADC Cyclone Belt Resilience Investment Programme and Benguela Current Region Drought Resilience Investment Portfolio. The consultation was convened by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union Commission, UNDP, Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The Cyclone Belt proposal seeks to capture and store water from extreme rainfall for irrigation, groundwater recharge and energy generation, linking infrastructure with early warning and the restoration of mangroves and watersheds. The Benguela Current proposal focuses on water storage, transfer and distribution across shared basins, ecosystem restoration and stronger community institutions. Drawing on lessons from Angola’s Cafu Canal, it connects water security through dry periods with agriculture and access to markets.

Following a presentation by UNDP’s Dr Gatkuoth Kai and Paul Conrad, technical teams mapped risks and infrastructure gaps, examined priority investment sites and institutional responsibilities, and worked on a roadmap for regional concept notes and project preparation. Both proposals remain under development. They connect prevention with the recovery agenda advanced through UNDP and the African Union Commission’s Community Recovery and Resilience Facility, which addresses the consequences of shocks recurring before communities have recovered.

“Let us judge our progress by what changes for people: water available through a dry season, livelihoods protected when storms come and fewer families forced to rebuild from the beginning after every shock,” said Edo Stork, UNDP Resident Representative in Mozambique, in remarks for the consultation.

Across the technical sessions, participants examined what countries need to make such investments viable. Discussions on financing highlighted limited fiscal space, fragmented institutions and demanding appraisal requirements, alongside the need for technical support, clear mandates and credible delivery and monitoring systems. A water-responsive urbanism session convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-Habitat, UNDP and the African Union Commission explored enabling policies, project preparation and blended finance to attract private investment into resilient cities and corridors. Participants also raised concerns about lengthy funding procedures that can leave feasibility studies outdated and the need to strengthen local contractors’ procurement and risk-management skills.

A live demonstration of the SADC INFORM Subnational Risk Index showed how information on hazards and exposure, vulnerability and lack of coping capacity can identify risk hotspots and guide preparedness and investment. In the session organized by SADC, UNDP, GIZ and MapAction, the UNDP Resident Representative emphasized that the tool’s success should be measured by the decisions it changes. Sustained use requires skilled staff, reliable data and institutions able to connect findings to budgets and early action.

Experience from the Sahel Resilience Project’s work across seven countries informed a session co-organized by UNDP, the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community of Central African States. Presenting the project’s lessons, UNDP’s Olivier Abayisenga and Dr Reshmi Theckethil highlighted consolidating country gains, strengthening peer learning and adapting proven approaches to shared basins and fragile border areas, along with initial thinking on the ambition, phased geography and integrated approach to co-creating a regional resilience programme.

Preparing for recovery was another focus. UNDP joined the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Governments of Japan, Uganda and Mozambique to examine how institutional responsibilities, financing and technical capacity can be established before disasters occur. Experience from Mozambique and Uganda informed discussions on UNDRR’s Recovery Readiness Framework and Assessment Tool and 10 Priority Actions, aiming to enable faster, more inclusive recovery and avoid reconstructing existing vulnerabilities.

Next steps

The final ministerial roundtables examined governance reforms that improve coordination and accountability, and approaches to mobilizing public and private investment in risk reduction. The adopted communiqué provides a common direction for advancing the Windhoek Declaration, with priorities including:

• Integrating risk assessments and resilience into development plans, infrastructure and public spending.
• Increasing investment in prevention and preparedness, including financing accessible to local authorities and communities.
• Connecting early warnings to clear responsibilities and financing for action before impacts occur.
• Preparing institutions and financing arrangements for recovery before disasters strike.
• Developing regional investment portfolios for resilient water systems, drought-resilient livelihoods, cities and trade corridors.

Taking these priorities forward will require country-led investment preparation, institutional capacity and accountability for delivery. UNDP will work with member states, SADC and partners to embed risk evidence in planning, preparedness and recovery, and help advance credible regional investment proposals.

For further information, please contact:

• Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu, Regional Communications and External Engagement Specialist, UNDP Regional Programme for Africa | ugochukwu.kingsley@undp.org
• Maryanne Muriuki, Communications Analyst – Disaster Risk Reduction, African Union Commission | MuriukiM@africanunion.org

Notes to Editors:

About the International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Africa

The International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Africa took place in Maputo, Mozambique, from 13 to 15 October 2026, following pre-conference events on 12 October. Convened by the African Union Commission and the Government of Mozambique, it focused on proactive governance and strategic investment for disaster risk reduction and resilience.

About the African Union Commission

The African Union Commission is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day-to-day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Some of its functions include representing the AU and defending its interests under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and the Executive Council and acting as the custodian of the AU Constitutive Act and all other OAU/AU legal instruments.

Learn more at www. https://au.int/en/commission

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.

Learn more at www.undp.org/africa/