Managing Disaster Risks in Djibouti

M. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti Minister of FinanceAndrea Zanon, Risk Management Regional Coordinator, World

Bank

Jeddah. November 2013

Djibouti’s Risk Profile (I)• Extended droughts• Floods

• Earthquakes• Volcanism

Djibouti’s Risk Profile (II)• 50% economy : vulnerable to disasters & climate change• One of most water scarce countries in the world: 300

m3/year per capita (MNA average is 1200 m3/yr/per capita)

• Smaller cities’ vulnerability is increasing

2007-2011 Drought Impact (I)

• 20% drop in rainfall since 2008• 2007-2011 drought caused 3.9%

of GDP contraction per year• Agriculture, livestock, water and

sanitation most affected (US$ 96 million)

• Severe water and food insecurity for 250,000 people (25% of total)

• US$ 318 million needed to mitigate drought risk until 2017

• Refugees entering Djibouti doubled in 2011

-1.5-1

-0.50

0.51

1.52

2.5

Precipitation fluc-tuation

1964-2011

Series1

2007-2011 Drought Impact (II)

• World Bank launched Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), in partnership with UNDP and EU

• PDNA led to mobilization of US$13 million of World Bank emergency funds

• PDNA leveraged US$ 30 additional million from international community

Risk Management Strategy

• Since 2007: Collaboration with the World Bank/GFDRR

− Started with a US$ 70,000 risk map

• 2007–2013: The collaboration has leveraged US$ 40.6 million for management of risks in:

− Natural disasters− Energy access− Water access− Rural development− Job creation for

vulnerable

Risk Management since 2007 (I)

• 1st hazard risk profile of the country• 6 national authorities & civil society involved in DRM: stronger

capacity to understand, analyze & communicate risks• 30 government staff trained on PDNA & early warning• University DRM distance education lab (50 people trained to

date)

DRM Impacts since 2007 (II)• 1st global drought PDNA • New national

preparedness plan (Plan ORSEC)• Early Warning System

(EWS)• 5 new meteo stations • Urban risk assessment &

communication platform

DRM Impacts since 2007 (III)

Risk Assessment

and Communication Platform

Meteo Stations

EWS

Systematic Risk

Assessment

Preparedness plans

Risk Management Education Lab

ResilientSociety

Better Risk Understanding

Resilient Society

DRM Impacts since 2007 (IV)The World Bank-built (2006) flood retention system in Oued Ambouli protected Djibouti

from the March 2013 floods

Remaining ChallengesChallenge

• 50% of Djibouti-Ville still vulnerable to floods

• Agriculture is the most affected by drought & floods

• Disasters are dealt with after they happen

• Post-disaster needs assessments (PDNA) not performed systematically

Proposed ActionExpansion of dams

Start development of Green Economy

Creation of a risk financing unit

Institutionalize PDNA and risk assessments

Thank you