Regional workshop aims to strengthen resilience reporting across Africa
The workshop reflects FAO's unwavering dedication to supporting African Union member states in fulfilling their commitments under the Malabo Declaration
RIMA experts are assisting countries in Africa to assess the resilience of farm, pastoral, and fisher households against climate shocks.
©FAO/ Donald Chidoori
Harare, Zimbabwe - A regional workshop on measuring household resilience to food insecurity from climate and socioeconomic shocks kicked off this week, bringing together experts and practitioners from across the continent. The event, hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is a crucial step in helping African countries fulfill their commitments under the Malabo Declaration.
In his opening remarks, the Southern Africa Development Community’s (SADC), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) focal point, Duncan Samikwa welcomed the participants, expressing gratitude for their dedication and commitment. "This workshop reflects FAO's unwavering dedication to supporting African Union member states in fulfilling their commitments under the Malabo Declaration," he said.
The Malabo Declaration, adopted in 2014, outlines a set of goals for agricultural transformation in Africa. The declaration provides the direction for Africa's agricultural transformation for the period 2015 – 2025, within the Framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, as a vehicle to contribute to the achievement of agricultural development across the continent.
One of the key commitments under the Malabo agenda is enhancing household resilience to climate variability and other shocks, which is the focus of this workshop.
"By strengthening our ability to measure and monitor resilience, we are laying the foundation for sustainable development and food security in Africa," the SADC representative emphasized He also underscored FAO’s pivotal support to the African Union (AU) in tracking Commitment 6 of the Malabo Declaration on resilience to climate variability.
The focal point highlighted FAO’s role in the 4th Biennial Review, where its RIMA experts assisted countries in calculating the resilience indicator, stating, “Since 2017, FAO has been a key partner to the AU, enabling us to assess the resilience of farm, pastoral, and fisher households against climate shocks.” The representative expressed confidence in the workshop's ability to bolster capacities for the upcoming 5th and final Biennial Review and its alignment with the Post-Malabo CAADP agenda.
Over five days, participants will engage in theoretical and practical sessions on the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA) methodology. This includes data preparation, analysis using the e-RIMA tool, and indicator validation.
"These activities are not merely technical exercises," said the Deputy FAO Representative in Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Louis Muhigirwa. "They are fundamental steps towards building resilient agricultural systems and livelihoods across Africa," he added.
The expected outcomes of the workshop are ambitious but achievable. These include the accurate calculation of the resilience indicator 6.1.i for 11 participating countries – Angola, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe –, enhanced capacity for resilience analysis among national experts, and the certification of participants as RIMA/shiny RIMA users thanks to a FAO e-learning course.
"This effort aligns directly with FAO's Strategic Framework 2022–2030, particularly our contributions to SDG 2 Zero Hunger, as well as the overarching goal of ensuring a better life for all," the Deputy FAO Representative added.
The regional workshop is a crucial step in addressing the gaps and challenges that have hindered broader participation in measuring resilience across Africa in previous reporting. By equipping national experts with the necessary knowledge and tools, FAO hopes to foster a network of resilience experts and ensure that all countries can report accurately and effectively in the upcoming 5th Biennial Review of the Malabo Declaration.
The Malabo agenda is tracked every 2 years with a set of indicators grouped under 7 commitments. Since 2017, FAO has collaborated with the African Union (AU) to monitor Commitment 6 of the Malabo Declaration, focused on enhancing household resilience to climate variability.
“This 5-day workshop aims to support your countries in estimating the indicator for the 5th and last Biennial Review of Malabo agenda, said the SADC representative. Adding that outcomes of the workshop will also be included in the “post-Malabo agenda of CAADP that will be adopted in Kampala early next year.”