Natural disasters are on the rise globally, causing more destruction than ever. The total number of disasters has nearly doubled worldwide since the 1980s, while in Africa, the incidence of natural disasters has almost tripled during the same timeframe. The complex interplay between natural disasters, rapid urbanization, water scarcity, and climate change presents a significant challenge for policy and planning. According to projections by climatologists and United Nations experts, African economies and livelihoods are expected to be the second most affected by climate change. In response, governments across the continent are increasingly seeking comprehensive services for natural hazard and crisis management. Since 2007, Morocco and a range of country-level programs have been launched in Djibouti, Tunisia Algeria, and in the Republic of Yemen in the Middle East to enhance resilience and recovery efforts. This congress assesses progress in risk management in Africa, identifies intervention gaps, and expands the dialogue towards more proactive, collaborative risk management. It will provide a collaborative platform to develop a strategic vision, principles, and objectives for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

Recent years have seen significant changes in global risk management policy due to the increasing frequency and severity of catastrophic events. These changes have prompted broad reforms affecting institutional frameworks and public policy initiatives. In 2023, Africa was struck by a series of catastrophic natural disasters. The most devastating of these occurred in Libya, where unprecedented floods ravaged Derna, destroying a quarter of the city’s neighborhoods and claiming over 11,000 lives. North Africa endured raging wildfires amid a scorching heatwave, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius in some areas. Cyclone Freddy hit Mozambique with winds of up to 110 mph, leading to floods that caused 1,434 deaths. This event marked Freddy as the deadliest tropical cyclone on record in Africa. In addition, severe flooding in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda resulted in at least 574 fatalities and displaced thousands.

Morocco has faced different types of natural disasters over time, including earthquakes, droughts, floods, and cold waves. Notably, on September 8, 2023, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude struck the High Atlas Mountains. Known as the Al Haouz earthquake, it originated approximately 75 km southwest of Marrakesh and significantly impacted the region bearing the same name. Regrettably, the Al Haouz earthquake ranks among the most catastrophic disasters in Morocco’s recent history, resulting in an estimated 3,000 deaths and 5,500 injuries in the subsequent weeks. Moreover, the Kingdom of Morocco continues to confront challenges due to its history of disasters, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive disaster planning and mitigation measures. Consequently, under the guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God Grant Him Assistance, the groundwork has been established for the nationwide approach to risk management of natural calamities (2020–2030). This strategy represents a consensus among various stakeholders and marks the beginning of an inclusive process that involves reflection, analysis, and collaboration.

The term"risk management" implies processes of prediction, prevention, control and reduction of the risk factors. It involves developing, promoting, and implementing policies, tools, and actions that assist societies in minimizing their exposure to natural risks and reducing their vulnerabilities. The risk concept should not be solely hazard-focused from a naturalistic perspective; it must also consider the social construction of risks, which depends on societal structures, organization, and functions. Consequently, this congress seeks to foster collaborative efforts among scientists, practitioners, NGOs, and politicians from the African continent, in partnership with international allies, to enact risk management policies. Collaboration among national and international institutions and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) is essential. The aim is to establish a global dialogue forum to forge consensus among various stakeholders on objectives and actions such as protocols, treaties and conventions.

The 1st African Congress on Natural Risks and Disaster Management (AFRICA NRDM'2025) will be held from January 20th to 24th, 2025, in Rabat, the capital city of the Kingdom of Morocco. The event will be organized in collaboration with the Academic Platform, The African Organization for Studies and Research on Risks, and the Mohammed V University of Rabat, with the support of the Risk Management Directorate under the Ministry of Interior. The NRDM’2025 congress is an opportunity to intensify efforts and strengthen the partnership with various international and governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society actors, academic institutes and African universities to develop an effective and comprehensive disaster risk management strategy in African countries. The objective is also to promote the pivotal role of civil society organizations in creating networks and focal points for disaster risk reduction at the African level. In this regard, this meeting aims to highlight the role of the heads of municipalities, territorial authorities and mayors of African cities due to their involvement in public administration. In addition to enhancing the involvement of civil society actors focused on risk management in Africa, it is essential to integrate disaster reduction by adopting specific policies within local, national, and regional planning processes that consider the contributions of all stakeholders.