[by Adessou Kossivi Nevaeme | 3rd WCDRR Sendai | 17 March 2015 | Day 4]

A day before the Sendai meeting, the nature has sent a very precise and clear message to the international community through Cyclone Pam.

This sign should have been a very important element influencing DRR policy preparation for the next 10 coming years. Unfortunately, this message from Pam seems not being heard by the world or maybe not well understood.

Again, the risk to provide cloud but no rain seems coming. As usually, poor countries will pay a very heavy burden. In order to fight this, Africans met in the People pavillon this 17th to think about how they can build a most resilient Africa regarding disasters.

Though the conference of Sendai is full of good things, it seems that we are making the same speech while we are conceiving things differently. It was a very good opportunity for academics, civil society organizations and governments to commonly plan a strategy they will put in place to build a less vulnerable and a most resilient Africa.

This meeting happened after while checking realities, it purely appears that disasters are not waiting our negotiation to occur with their lots of loss and damage.

Sendai was an interesting experience as it is getting us through negotiations but, at the same time, offers the opportunity to share and acknowledge what is happening with other partners elsewhere.

Definitively Sendai is another beginning.