ABUJA, Nigeria, 8 November 2017 - The African Risk Capacity (ARC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are collaborating more closely to build resilience against climate-related disasters in West Africa. As global climate negotiations are underway at the 23^rd United Nations Climate Change Convention in Germany, ARC and ECOWAS are taking a significant step to strengthen their partnership and amplify the impact of their work in disaster risk management, ensuring that the increasing risks of weather-related perils are addressed earlier and m

From an idea first outlined in 2006, to a full-fledged institution – with 32 member states, USD 500 million of drought risk transferred, over USD 30 million in insurance payouts triggered and 2.1 million people reached with payouts since starting operations in 2014 – the African Risk Capacity has certainly come a long way. Dr Joanna Syroka has been there throughout this journey.

African Risk Capacity to Provide Innovative Financing to Protect against and Control Diseases African experts and government officials came together for the launch of African Risk Capacity’s (ARC) Outbreak & Epidemic (O&E) insurance pilot programme on September 13-15 in Accra, Ghana.

During a visit to the Government of Chad where ARC reaffirmed our commitment to working with the Government to improve disaster risk management in the country, ARC Director-General Mohamed Béavogui sat with Al Wihda for an exclusive interview. To catch his views on the impact the Government of Chad has made on ARC, the importance of agriculture in Africa, and ARC's collaborations in Chad and the African Union, you can find 

At the 37th Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), encouraged the leaders of Southern African countries to join him in his efforts to increase access to African Risk Capacity's disaster risk financing facilities. "Africa can no longer suffer in silence," Mr Adesina said.

Mr Mohamed Béavogui Director-General and United Nations Assistant Secretary General (ASG) Mr Mohamed Béavogui, an expert in Agricultural Finance, was elected as the first African General Manager of the African Risk Capacity in January 2015 during the 3rd annual Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In September 2015, he took over from interim Director-General, Dr.

Click here to download the PDF version [caption id="attachment_1657" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] ARC hosts country-led lessons learned workshop in Ouagadougou, 18

ActionAid recently issued a report criticising the expansion of climate risk insurance markets for the poor and vulnerable and urging African Risk Capacity (ARC), the G7, World Bank, Insurance Development Forum and others to halt their work in this space. ActionAid’s stance and recommendations, as presented in the report, are misguided. In an attempt to validate its position on the issue, ActionAid suggested that ARC’s sovereign disaster risk insurance failed in Malawi.

The 29th African Union Summit is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 29 June to 4 July 2017. African Heads of State, African Union Commissioners, and African governments officials across the continent are convening to discuss pressing issues on the continent and African-led solutions to address them. As a Specialized Agency of the African Union, African Risk Capacity is attending the AU Summit and presenting our comprehensive solution to detecting, funding, and responding to climate risks.

In a recent blog from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), ARC focal point and senior economist in the National Treasury of Kenya, Vincent Mutie Nzau, explains the importance of disaster risk financing in drought-prone countries like Kenya. With average annual costs for drought damage in Kenya estimated at some US$1.25 billion, access to funding before and after disaster strikes is fundamental for reducing the impact of shocks for the most vulnerable. "Disaster risk finance takes many shapes in Kenya," says Nzau - one of those shapes is ARC.