The Role of RECs in Mitigating the Impact of Natural Disasters in Africa: The Case of SADC

This chapter examines the role of RECs in mitigating the impact of natural disasters in Africa. Using the case of SADC, one of eight RECs recognised by the African Union, the chapter analyses the frequency and severity of ecological and climate change-related disasters in southern Africa since 2000 and the role of SADC in mitigating their impact. In recent years, the southern African region has been struck by natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and droughts, which disrupted and destroyed people’s lives and economies. However, the efficacy of the systems and related initiatives, like the SHOC, have proven troublingly limited. Their existence has not meant much for the people of the region who are at the receiving end of destructive natural disasters.