Families displaced by floods in Mozambique, farmers watching harvests fail under prolonged drought, coastal communities bracing for the next cyclone season: these are the realities that will drive the agenda when African leaders gather in Maputo this October. The African Union Commission, working alongside the Government of Mozambique and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, will host the International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Africa from 13 to 15 October 2026.
The stakes are concrete. Across the continent, natural hazards and climate-related shocks are reshaping daily life for ordinary people, and the conference exists to accelerate the decisions and investments that could change that trajectory.
The gathering will bring together a broad coalition: heads of state and government, senior officials, technical experts, regional and international organizations, development partners, financing institutions, academic researchers, civil society groups, youth representatives, women’s organizations, people living with disabilities, and private sector leaders. The conference theme, “Scaling Proactive Governance and Strategic Investment for Disaster Risk Reduction and a Resilient Africa,” signals an intent to move beyond declarations toward measurable commitments.
The three-day programme is structured to build from diagnosis to decision. On 13 October, a high-level opening ceremony featuring heads of state and government will set the tone. That same day, continuing through 14 October, technical experts will examine specific challenges and solutions in disaster risk management. Short, focused sessions. Then, on 15 October, attention shifts to money and mandates: a dedicated donor roundtable on funding for disaster risk reduction and resilience initiatives will precede a high-level ministerial segment, where participants will adopt a formal Ministerial Communiqué.
The agenda spans interconnected sectors that touch communities directly: disaster risk reduction strategies, meteorological systems and weather forecasting, water resource management, drought preparedness and response, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and financial mechanisms to support resilience building. The cross-sector scope reflects a straightforward reality: floods do not respect departmental boundaries, and neither can effective responses.
What the conference is specifically trying to achieve matters here. Core objectives include strengthening governance frameworks for risk management, mobilizing investment capital dedicated to building resilience, and enhancing multi-hazard early warning systems capable of delivering timely alerts to communities before disaster strikes. The emphasis on anticipatory action, preparing before crises hit rather than scrambling afterward, is a direct response to the gap between what communities need and what governments have historically delivered. The conference will also promote risk-informed development, ensuring that infrastructure projects, urban planning, and economic investments account for disaster risks from the outset.
Meanwhile, the African Union Commission’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) is coordinating the event. Formal invitations, a detailed concept note, the full programme, and logistical arrangements will be distributed to participants in the coming months. Additional details are available at https://au.int/en/newsevent/international-conference-disaster-risk-reduction-and-resilient-africa.
The open question heading into October is whether the Ministerial Communiqué adopted in Maputo will carry the financing commitments that communities on the ground have long been waiting for.