Scope & Content

Natural risks afflict all corners of the Earth; they are often unexpected, seemingly unavoidable, and frequently catastrophic in their impact. Whether they occur in advanced or developing nations, they can destroy people’s livelihoods. Both developed and developing countries have experienced extreme natural and man-made hazards. African countries are also vulnerable to various disasters. The Afro-Mediterranean region is one of the most disaster-prone areas in the world. Natural disasters cause damage to social structures and the environment by interrupting the supply of goods and services, worsening financial balances and government budgets, and hindering economic growth, income distribution, and poverty reduction efforts. The current scientific sessions highlight the mitigated damage arising from disasters both in terms of the number of human casualties and economic impacts. They emphasize the importance of preparedness, including drawing up emergency plans, disseminating and training emergency knowledge, conducting evacuation drills, constructing early warning systems, and investing in infrastructure and reconstruction efforts, besides capacity-building programs for disaster preparedness, emergency response, and relief.

The main challenge for science-based decision-making in disaster management lies in bridging the knowledge gap between the available real-time scientific analysis that supports early warnings and the actions that trigger an early response. In most African countries, disaster management knowledge is fragmented across various scientific and technical communities, such as meteorology, hydrology, geophysics, and GIS, or completely absent. Furthermore, the approaches that utilize this knowledge are diverse and could be more effective with enhanced coordination among operational stakeholders, including national disaster management centers, civil protection, public health, transportation, economy, and security.

The 1st African Congress on Natural Risks and Disaster Management (AFRICA NRDM’2025) is scheduled in Rabat from January 20th to January 24th, 2025. This congress is a collaboration between the Academic Platform, The African Organization for Studies and Research on Risks, the Mohammed V University of Rabat, and the support of Risk Management Directorate (Ministry of Interior). Its main goal is to explore ways to minimize the impact of natural disasters and enhance the resilience of vulnerable areas. Specifically, the congress will focus on the early warning and disaster cycle response phases. Additionally, it will briefly discuss how disaster management can promote climate change adaptation and what parts of the Moroccan experience can be applied elsewhere in the rest of Africa.