Looking ahead to the 2nd Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform

Looking ahead to the 2nd Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform

The 2nd Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform (EADP2) takes place in Mombasa, Kenya, from 28 to 30 October. In the run-up to the event, we asked Irene Amuron, head of anticipatory action at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, what participants can expect from this strategic regional gathering.

“The central focus of EADP2 is the institutionalization of anticipatory action. Participants can expect to learn from peers across the region about where institutionalization is already taking place, the factors that have enabled progress, and where it has yet to be achieved. The platform will provide an opportunity to openly discuss the challenges and bottlenecks that continue to hinder institutionalization, while identifying practical solutions and pathways to overcome them.

“As with EADP1, EADP2 will bring together practitioners, academics, government representatives, donors and other stakeholders to collectively explore how anticipatory action can transition from pilot initiatives to sustainable, government-led systems. 

“Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the latest innovations, evidence and emerging practices from across eastern Africa, including advances in early warning systems, forecasting, financing and locally led anticipatory action. With forecasts indicating a potentially significant El Niño event in 2026/27, discussions will examine how prepared our systems are to anticipate and respond to the associated risks and impacts.

“Finally, EADP2 will serve as an important moment to take stock of progress since the first Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform, assess achievements against commitments made in the Mombasa Declaration, identify the remaining gaps, and define priorities for accelerating anticipatory action across eastern Africa.”

It’s been two years since the first EADP. What have been the main achievements in the two years since that inaugural event?

“The region has made significant progress in advancing and scaling anticipatory action. One of the most notable achievements has been the leadership of IGAD and the establishment of a functional Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG), which has played a critical role in maintaining momentum on coordination, learning and information-sharing across eastern Africa. The RTWG has also been instrumental in convening regional learning events, including this Eastern Africa Dialogue Platform, and providing a space for knowledge exchange and regional collaboration.

“There has also been a steady increase in the number of countries developing and launching national roadmaps for anticipatory action, which are an important step towards institutionalization. Building on the IGAD Regional Roadmap for Anticipatory Action, these national roadmaps outline country-specific priorities and strategies for strengthening and scaling anticipatory action. Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda have already developed roadmaps, while several others are currently under development.

“In addition, a growing number of regional initiatives, including Water at the Heart of Climate Action and SCALAA [Scaling Coordinated, multi-hazard and conflict-sensitive Anticipatory Action], are supporting the implementation of anticipatory action while strengthening linkages between regional-, national- and community-level efforts. Progress has also been made in fragile, conflict- and violence-affected settings, with more organizations developing anticipatory action plans and approaches tailored to complex humanitarian contexts. Together, these developments reflect a growing regional commitment to embedding anticipatory action within existing systems and institutions.”

There will be strong government leadership at EADP2, with the government of Kenya co-hosting the event with IGAD and officials from several other countries attending. How can governments help to deliver the ambitions outlined in the Mombasa Declaration?

“Our regional ambitions require strong government leadership and effective partnerships across sectors. Governments play a critical role in the institutionalization of anticipatory action by establishing the legal, policy and operational frameworks needed to embed it within national systems.

“Anticipatory action should be integrated into national disaster-risk-management frameworks, including relevant laws, policies and contingency-planning processes. Government procedures and protocols may also need to be updated to enable the release of funding and the implementation of actions based on agreed triggers, before the impacts of a hazard are felt.

“In addition, governments can strengthen the sustainability of anticipatory action by allocating domestic resources and establishing dedicated financing mechanisms within national budgets. This would help reduce the reliance on external funding and support long-term implementation at scale.

“Social protection systems also present a significant opportunity. As most social protection programmes are government-led, they can be designed or adapted to become more shock-responsive, enabling support to reach vulnerable populations before a crisis escalates. By linking anticipatory action with social protection mechanisms, governments can expand coverage, improve efficiency and better protect at-risk communities from forecast hazards.”

And finally, what are your personal expectations for the EADP2 in Mombasa? What would be a successful outcome from the event?

“I expect that we will have a strong political will towards the sustainability and scale up of anticipatory action in the region. We have a ministerial session that is expected to showcase governments commitments on the outcome of the EADP2; our successful outcome will be a ministerial statement.”