RCMRD launches disaster risk management strategic plan to strengthen climate resilience

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) has unveiled a new Disaster Risk Management Strategic Plan aimed at supporting its member States, many of which are among the most vulnerable globally to climate-related hazards.

The Strategy comes at a time when disasters are increasing in both frequency and intensity, driven by climate change and compounded by rapid urbanization, population growth, environmental degradation, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. RCMRD said the plan is designed to help countries better anticipate, manage, and mitigate disaster risks through the expanded use of geospatial technologies.

According to the Centre, the Strategic Plan prioritizes the integration of earth observation, remote sensing, and spatial data analytics into national and regional disaster risk management frameworks. By leveraging these technologies, member States are expected to enhance early warning systems, improve risk assessment capabilities, and strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms.

RCMRD indicated that the Strategy will focus on building both technical expertise and infrastructure capacity across its member countries. This includes strengthening institutional capabilities, improving data accessibility, and fostering collaboration among national agencies, research institutions, and regional partners.

The Strategic Plan is structured to address the entire disaster risk management cycle, spanning prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The Centre emphasized that this comprehensive approach is essential to reducing disaster impacts while promoting long-term resilience.

RCMRD further noted that the Strategy aligns with key global and regional policy frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also supports initiatives such as Early Warnings for All, the Africa Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Windhoek Declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Centre underscored that partnerships will be central to the implementation of the Strategy. Stakeholders involved in the broader disaster risk reduction and space-based technology ecosystem, including the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), the Kenya Space Agency, and the European Space Agency (ESA), are expected to play collaborative roles.

With the launch of the Strategic Plan, RCMRD reaffirmed its commitment to supporting member States in harnessing geospatial science and technology as critical tools for disaster resilience and sustainable development.