6.3 The Potential of a Supranational Mechanism

Due to their flexibility and relative low implementation cost, soft risk reduction measures represent one of the most effective methods of climate adaptation and should always be combined with effective structural mitigation measures. Establishing an Early Warning System (EWS) that is able to trigger appropriate and timely action in the field is not only a technological effort, but touches upon the modification of the legal context, the institutional organization and the culture of risk itself across the different layers of society and organisations. As such, all these elements cannot be developed in silos, but should be addressed in a consistent and coordinated framework. In this context, the implementation of a continental coordination function centred in the AUC appears pivotal. A strong coordination can only be reached if AUC consolidates its relationship with the regional and national actors to form a strong and coordinated system able to prevent, prepare and respond to the disasters that might be caused by the different natural hazards affecting the African continent. The consolidation should build on a consistent legal and institutional framework that identifies roles and responsibilities in order to, on one hand empower the involved institutions, and on the other hands make them accountable for their actions. The ultimate objective of this continental coordination would be the enhanced access to early warning information on natural hazards, and the improvement of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery in Africa. The supranational level within the context of EWS can potentially be considered on two levels - the regional and the continental. In the case of the regional level, the climate centres affiliated to RECs are a nodal point. The African Union Commission with the support of ACMAD are the key nodes at the continental level. As detailed in the analysis, the key functions needed for the establishment of a coordination room in AUC are already present within AUC Departments. However, such functionalities have been developed within diverse contexts to address separate issues and should be united under the umbrella of a clear supra-state mechanism. The final objectives are: 1) to establish a continental situation room able to gather timely information about happenings on the ground so that an informative and consolidated situation awareness report can be prepared to support decisions from the AUC High Levels; 2) to provide information on how the situation might evolve in the near future with the help of national and regional climate centres; to enable a timely redistribution of situation awareness report as well as of the decision made by the HL bodies of AUC that might affect the MS. The establishment of such a mechanism is not a linear undertaking and can be reached by developing a series of actions that constitute an ideal coordinated map between AUC, RECs and MS. The list of actions is listed here: • Preparation of a Natural hazard early warning and preparedness baseline that includes a