Advancing policy coherence for disaster resilience in the Southern African Development Community

This paper explores the conceptual understanding and practical application of policy coherence within the domains of disaster resilience and sustainable development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). As a fundamental pillar of the 2030 Agenda, policy coherence is crucial in aligning global, regional, and national policy frameworks to achieve collective disaster resilience and sustainability. The data collection consisted of the analysis of 12 documents, 45 key informant interviews, and survey questionnaires with 88 respondents from different organisations and institutions.

Study findings indicate that while awareness of the linkages between sustainable development, climate change adaptation (CCA), and disaster risk reduction (DRR) is improving, there is limited understanding of policy coherence and its application within the SADC region. This limited understanding has led to key challenges, including sectoral silos, competition for resources, and institutional inertia. To address these barriers, the following recommendations are given:

• Strong political leadership
• Institutional reforms
• Dedicated financing

These measures are crucial for harmonising existing frameworks, enhancing institutional capacity, and developing mechanisms that reduce policy fragmentation across the region.