Forum 2007 - ‘Making Disaster Risk Reduction Work’
Dar es Salaam, 13-15 February 2007

In February 2007, ProVention hosted its third Annual Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The 2007 Forum focused on the central theme of ‘Making Disaster Risk Reduction Work’ and highlighted the practical experiences and challenges faced by ProVention partners in reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience of the communities they work with. With broad participation from ProVention partners around the world, and building on the outputs of three regional forums that took place in Dakar, Johannesburg and Nairobi in November and December 2006, the Forum examined key issues from both a global perspective and a special focus on Africa. The Forum plenary and parallel workshops addressed a range of inter-related topics, including:

  • Urban risk: moving from analysis to action
  • Risk transfer: promoting disaster insurance in low-income countries
  • Climate adaptation, slow onset disasters and disaster risk reduction: an uneasy alliance?
  • Community and civil society perspectives, local knowledge and coping strategies
  • From research and learning to training and action
  • Governance and disaster risk reduction: enabling factors and challenges

The ProVention Forum 2007 was organised in close collaboration with the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS) in Dar es Salaam and the Tanzanian Red Cross.

The Forum report is now available and background papers for the sessions as well as speakers' presentations (when available) can be downloaded below.

Tuesday: 13 February, 2007

Opening addresses

    • Chair: Mr. Adam Kimbisa, Tanzanian Red Cross Secretary General & Lord Mayor of Dar es Salaam
    • Dr. Batilda Burian, Minister of State, Tanzanian Government (notes)
    • Mr. Abbas Gullet, Kenya Red Cross Secretary General

Workshop 1 - Urban risk : moving from analysis to action (concept note)
Moderator: Mark Pelling, Rapporteur: Steve Bender

    Panel 1: From urban risk analysis to action
    • Fouad Bendimerad, EMI
    • Violetta Seva, Senior Advisor, Office of the Mayor, Makati City, Philippines (ppt presentation, notes)
    • Djillali Benouar, University of Bab Ezzouar
    • Jacob Songsore, University of Ghana-Legon

    Panel 2: Participatory approaches in urban settings

    • Xavier Castellanos,  IFRC
    • Marla Petal, Risk Red
    • Loy Rego, ADPC
    • Kathleen Ryan, ICLEI

Workshop 2: Climate Adaptation, slow onset disasters and disaster risk reduction : an uneasy alliance? (concept note)
Moderator: Maxx Dilley / Maarten van Aalst, Rapporteur: John Harding

    Panel 1: Slow onset hazards and disaster risk reduction

    Panel 2: Climate change and disaster risk reduction


Wednesday: 14 February, 2007

Workshop 3: Risk transfer: promoting disaster insurance in low income (concept note)
Moderator & Rapporteur: Daniel Kull

    Panel 1: Micro approaches
    • Mehul Pandya, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (ppt presentation)
    • Kande Narender, DHAN Foundation, India
    • Shadreck Mapfumo, Opportunity International Network, Malawi

    Panel 2: Macro approaches and risk pooling

Workshop 4: Community and civil society perspectives, local knowledge and coping strategies (concept note)
Moderator: Roger Yates / Adolpho Mascarenhas, Rapporteur: Terry Cannon

    Panel 1: Community and civil society perspectives
    • Khady Diagne, ENDA RUP, Senegal
    • John Abuya, Action Aid, Kenya
    • Francis Battal, World Vision South Africa
    • Feleke Tadele, Save the Children, Ethiopia

    Panel 2: Coping strategies and local knowledge

    • Christine Wamsler, Lunds University (ppt presentation
    • Prof. G-C. M. Mutiso, SASOL
    • Ben Wisner, Oberlin College

ProVention Project Showcase

Partners' stands & presentations from a variety of ProVention partners:

    • UN/ISDR: global and regional disaster risk reduction systems (ppt presentation)
    • Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC): Mainstreaming initiative in Asia (ppt presentation)
    • African Urban Risk Analysis Network – presentation of network and activities (ppt presentation)
    • DiMP, University of Cape Town (ppt presentation)
    • Centre for Disaster Preparedness, Philippines – Ensuring the participation of the most vulnerable population in disaster management (ppt presentation)
    • Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative
    • Safer Schools


Thursday: 15 February, 2007

Workshop 5: Governance and disaster risk reduction: enabling factors and challenges (concept note)
Moderator: Seth Vordzorgbe (ppt presentation), Rapporteur: Ron Cadribo

    Panel 1: Incentives, capacities, and accountability for DRR
    • Zo Rabefitia, Madagascar National Disaster Risk Management Bureau (ppt presentation)
    • Abdoulaye N’Diaye, Former Civil Protection Agency, Senegal (notes)
    • Abdoulaye Niang, UN Economic Commission for Africa (notes)
    • Rose Bwenvu, Office of the Prime Minister, Department of Disaster Management & Refugees, Kampala-Uganda (National ISDR Platform Uganda)

    Panel 2: Participation and entry points for effective DRR

    • Joseph Shiyo, Tanzania Prime Minister's Office, Disaster Management Department (notes)
    • Roger Yates, ActionAid
    • Khurshid Alam, Consultant, Bangladesh (ppt presentation)

Workshop 6: From research and learning to training and action (concept note)
Moderator: Roy Williams / Zenaida Delica Willison, Rapporteur: Marla Petal

    Panel 1: Improve linkages between universities & NGOs
    • Don Schramm, UW-DMC, Applied Research Grants Programme
    • Tsehai Jemberu, University of Bahir Dar, PeriperiU
    • Leigh Sonn, University of Cape Town, PHREEway, Periperi U, AURAN, Applied Research Grants Programme

    Panel 2: How to improve quality of teaching / training on DRR

    • Mihir Bhatt, AIDMI
    • Mayfourth Luneta, Centre for Disaster Preparedness - Philippines
    • Allan Lavell, FLACSO, La Red
    • Loy Rego, ADPC

Plenary – Forum conclusions

Field visits led by ProVention grantees, who conducted applied research projects in two areas of Dar es Salaam: