Spaces of vulnerability and areas prone to natural disaster and crisis in six SADC countries
This desk review was undertaken to enhance the understanding of disaster risk and spaces of vulnerability (i.e. exposure to hazards) in terms of natural disaster and/or crisis situations in Southern Africa, and map the current disaster risk governance structure and preparedness capacity in the region. Six countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region – namely, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe – were targeted.
This review recommends adapting disaster risk reduction and resilience initiatives to national, cross-border, transboundary and regional hazards; development challenges and vulnerabilities; and disaster risk management systems. Practitioners need to mainstream relevant regional dynamics such as sustainable development, climate change, urbanization, and migration into disaster risk management frameworks and operational mechanisms.