The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) hosted a workshop on risk-informed urban development in Lomé, Togo, from March 18th to 20th, 2025. This event is part of a series of workshops aimed at strengthening urban disaster risk management capabilities across West Africa.
Representatives from thirteen West African cities, including various mayors and local experts, attended the workshop. The initiative aims to enhance local actors' capacities in understanding and managing urban disaster risks, fostering knowledge exchange, and fostering innovative solutions in a collaborative environment. Moreover, the workshops aim to strengthen partnerships with international organizations such as UNDP, UNDRR, AUC, and civil society actors. The goal is to bolster urban disaster risk management capabilities by establishing participatory risk analysis and planning processes and developing concrete, inclusive action plans.
Camilla Gendol, Chargée d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Togo, emphasized the cooperation between Germany and the region in implementing disaster risk reduction programs. She stressed the necessity of technical and policy measures to support local governments in combatting climate-related hazards and strengthening urban communities' resilience.
The Togo Minister for Town Planning, Housing and Land Reform, represented by the Director of Cabinet, underlined the significance of this workshop in building urban resilience. The Minister acknowledged ECOWAS and its partners' vital role in promoting disaster risk reduction.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about urban climate and disaster risk mapping, its impact on socio-community infrastructure, and possible resource mobilization opportunities for urban resilience. The next workshop in this series is scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, in July 2025.
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