SADC countries meet in Johannesburg to strengthen disaster preparedness and anticipatory action ahead of the 2026/27 El Niño season as heatwave risks rise across Southern Africa.
By: Austin Menzi Moyo Snr.
JOHANNESBURG — Southern African countries are set to strengthen regional preparedness for the humanitarian risks expected during the 2026/27 El Niño season, as parts of the region face dangerous heat and increasingly severe climate conditions.
A regional workshop hosted in Johannesburg from 20 to 23 October 2026 will bring together the Southern African Development Community (SADC), governments, humanitarian agencies and development partners to improve disaster preparedness, anticipatory action and coordinated responses to climate-related emergencies.
The workshop is being held at The Capital on the Park in Sandton and will include representatives from the SADC Secretariat, the European Union's DG ECHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Regional Anticipatory Action Working Group (RAAWG) and national disaster management authorities.
The timing is significant. SADC's latest regional climate outlook forecasts above-average temperatures across most of the region during the 2026/27 rainy season, alongside a strong likelihood of below-normal rainfall across much of central and southern SADC. The regional outlook identifies a strengthening El Niño as a key climate driver.
The workshop therefore seeks to move disaster...
