[Country Workshop Recap] Disaster Risk Financing Diagnostic and Strategy Development Workshop in Ethiopia

The Government of Ethiopia, led by the Ministry of Finance, is developing a Disaster Risk Financing Strategy (DRFS). When implemented, the DRFS is intended to ensure that the Government and its partners are better prepared to meet the financial obligations arising from disasters in a cost-effective and timely manner. Against this backdrop, the Disaster Risk Financing Diagnostic and Strategy Development workshop was held on September 2-3 in Adama, Ethiopia, facilitated by the Building Resilience in Ethiopia (BRE) programmes in conjunction with the World Bank and financed by FCDO and USAID to support development of the DRFS

The objectives of the two-day workshop were to 1) Present findings and recommendations from the Disaster Risk Financing diagnostic, a key document which will inform development of the DRFS; 2) Explore the intended purpose of the DRF strategy; and 3) Present the proposed next steps for development of the DRF strategy. The workshop attracted over 60 participants who joined in person or virtually. In total, 63 people participated in the workshop, of which 54 joined in person and 9 virtually via zoom. This included broad-based participation from the Government of Ethiopia, representing ten institutions.

The overall responses were positive, with highest marks related to the relevancy of the information, participation from relevant stakeholders and the amount of time allocated for discussion. The DRF Diagnostic Study, presented as a draft at the workshop, will be revised based on feedback received at the workshop. Moreover, as the DRFS is developed, it has been noted that there is a strong desire for the strategy to be developed in a consultative manner. 

For more information, please contact Evie Calcutt (ecalcutt@worldbank.org), Financial Sector Specialist, Crisis and Disaster Risk Finance team, World Bank.