As the region continues to seek for solutions to the worst possible drought facing East Africa and the Great Horn of Africa in more than six decades, attention moves to Beijing in the People’s Republic of China, where a high level Sino-African Seminar on Drought Risk Reduction (DRR) takes place.
The three-day seminar is scheduled for September 25-27, 2011. It aims to contribute to the on-going international process of building drought resilient nations and communities by providing a forum for governments to share information, knowledge and lessons learnt in drought risk reduction. The seminar further hopes to identify priority areas and ways for Sino-African co-operation and collaboration in drought risk reduction and to facilitate the sharing of scientific and practical methods for building drought resilience.
The seminar organized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in the People’s Republic of China in conjunction with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is expected to be opened by the Minister for Civil Affairs in the People’s Republic of China, Hon. Mr. Guo yun zhao.
EALA shall be represented at the meeting by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi, who shall make official remarks and the Deputy Clerk, Mr. Alex Obatre. Other dignitaries expected include the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees in the Republic of Uganda, Dr. Stephen Malinga and the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry in the Sudan, Dr. Ibrahim El-Dukheri.
In Africa, drought is one of the major threats to people’s livelihood and socio-economic development with severe cases impacting negatively on agriculture – which is the backbone of a majority of rural populations in the continent. It is estimated that more than 90% of farmed land has no access to irrigation, depending instead on rainfall. Drought thus, has a profound impact on food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to a dispatch from the organizers, drought has also affected parts of China. In early 2010, drought affected parts of China including Guizhou, Yunan and Shanxi Provinces, distressing an estimated 18 million people and 12.4 million head of livestock.
The Action Plan of the Sino-African Ministerial Conference for 2010-2012, has underlined the need to strengthen co-operation between China and Africa. At a meeting held in November 2009, Governments agreed to hold the Sino- African Seminar to share information, technology and experiences on drought management and risk reduction.
It is hoped that the seminar shall result in improved understanding of national policies and existing mechanisms of drought management and risk reduction. Participants are also expected to build consensus on the areas of priority in the co-operation and collaboration between China and Africa and enhance their understanding of the major elements required for effective drought early warning systems.
NOTE TO THE EDITORS
Created in December 1999, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). It is the successor to the secretariat of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (General Assembly (GA) resolution 54/219).
The mandate of UNISDR expanded in 2001 to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations system and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields (GA resolution 56/195). This was in response to a need for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction within the development and other areas of work of the UN.
The East African Legislative Assembly is the legislative organ of the East African Community. Its Membership consists of a total of 52, of whom 45 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and seven ex-officio members (the Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs from the Partner States, the Secretary General of the Community and the Counsel to the Community).
The East African Legislative Assembly has legislative functions as well as oversight of all East African Community matters. The enactment of legislation of the Community is effected by means of Bills passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Heads of State, and every Bill that has been duly passed and assented to become an Act of the Community and takes precedent over similar legislations in the Partner States.
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For more Information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org Web: https://www.eala.org Arusha, Tanzania
