LocationsClosing of FRESAN marked by inauguration of new Operational Coordination Centre in the province
Risk management capacity strengthened in Namibe through FRESAN
July 18, 2025
Entities Present at the FRESAN Closing Ceremony
UNDP Angola | Edgar Muinga
As part of the FRESAN Programme – Strengthening Resilience and Food and Nutritional Security in Angola, UNDP participated in two significant events on 15 and 16 July 2025, in Namibe province, which highlighted the concrete impact of its contribution to strengthening institutional and community resilience to climate risks in southern Angola: the inauguration of the new Civil Protection Operational Coordination Centre (CCO) in Moçâmedes, and the closing ceremony of the Programme, which brought together national authorities and implementing partners.
The Operational Centre, housed in the refurbished building of the Namibe Provincial Civil Protection and Fire Brigade Command, represents a significant investment in strengthening the region's institutional and technical capacity to deal with extreme events, in particular the growing impacts of drought. The infrastructure has been equipped with modern disaster monitoring, analysis and response technologies, notably geographic information systems (GIS), emergency communications and remote data access.
This intervention, supported by UNDP within the framework of FRESAN, aims to ensure that each province has a functional technical centre with the capacity to:
- Monitor climate risks in real time;
- Create and print maps of vulnerable areas;
- Operate state-of-the-art crisis rooms;
- Access reliable databases and communications during emergencies.
New Civil Protection Operational Coordination Centre (CCO) in Moçâmedes
PNUD Angola | Edgar Muinga
The visit to the CCO was part of the agenda of the Steering Committee and the Programme Coordination Group, which on 15 July also made a field visit to several initiatives supported by FRESAN in the provinces of Namibe and Huíla.
The following day, 16 July, a ceremony was organised by the Namibe Provincial Government, attended by high-level representatives from the Angolan Government, the European Union, Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language, FAO, Vall d'Hebron, UNDP and other partners.
During the event, the role of UNDP in strengthening disaster risk management in Angola was highlighted. In partnership with the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Protection and Fire Services, UNDP led the development of two national reference instruments:
- National Preparedness and Response Plan (2023–2027)
- Strategic Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (2023–2027)
These plans are designed to support a coordinated response to emergencies, promote the integration of risk into development processes, and ensure greater community resilience to climate change.
Denise António during the closing ceremony of FRESAN
UNDP Angola | Edgar Muinga
The UNDP Resident Representative in Angola, Denise António, highlighted that ‘the provinces of Namibe, Huíla, Cunene and the National Command are now better prepared to respond to climate emergencies, with clear improvements in terms of technical personnel, infrastructure and equipment.’ She also stressed that ‘the sustainability of these achievements will require continued national ownership, effective intersectoral coordination and long-term investment.’
Throughout the programme, UNDP reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening climate resilience, good local governance and sustainable development, in line with the 2023–2027 National Development Plan.
For UNDP, the work carried out under FRESAN is not an end in itself, but rather a starting point for new forms of cooperation that place resilience at the centre of Angola's development agenda, especially in regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.