The region has experienced a multiplicity of challenges driving chronic vulnerability, such as malnutrition, poverty, HIV and environmental degradation. Food insecurity and chronic malnutrition affects an average of 25.5 million people in the SADC region, impacting mostly women and children. Approximately one in four children under the age of 5 years is stunted. The vulnerability assessments and analyses are relevant for the SADC region experiencing both acute and chronic vulnerability, in order for it to be able to develop resilience building policies, strategies and programmes.

To support resilient, sustainable rural and urban livelihoods, environments, and institutions in reducing poverty and enhancing well-being in Southern Africa.

The beneficiaries are the poor and vulnerable households from the SADC Member States that will benefit from emergency response, preparedness and development support that is informed by vulnerability assessments and analyses.

The target groups comprise national governments from the 15 SADC Member States and their specialised institutions (National Vulnerability Analysis Committees).

Institutionalised and sustainable vulnerability analyses and assessment systems that enhance emergency and developmental responses at national and regional levels.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

• Vulnerability assessment commitees strengthened and incorporated into government administrative and financial structures;
• Vulnerability assessments and analyses approaches and methods strengthened, harmonised, and integrated;
• Vulnerability assessments and analysis information products visible, accessible, and influential to national policies, strategies and programmes;
• Regional vulnerability assessment programme strengthened within SADC Secretariat core structures.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

• 14 out of 15 Member States have established vulnerabilty assessment committees and link vulnerability analysis and assessment to policy options for humanitarian responses;
• A set of guidelines for urban vulnerability assessments incorporating nutrition, gender and HIV have been developed. Five Member States have already piloted integrating nutrition, HIV and Gender into their annual assessments;
• Livelihood zoning[1] and baseline development continue across countries which inform development and resilience programming;
• Due to timely vulnerability assessments, Member States have been able to respond to the needs of the most affected households and avert disasters[2].

[1] Livelihood zoning enables the categorization of a country’s regions into livelihood zones based on its environmental, economic and social characteristics. It is the first step in the household economic framework and necessary before carrying out any baselines or rapid assessments.

[2] The RVAA system is the official source of information on food security in the region. In providing VAA information for decision-making, the SADC RVAA system has demonstrated significant achievements, specifically: a) use of NVACs’ outputs in developing response programmes and policies to short and long term vulnerabilities. Millions of vulnerable households have benefited over the years from Member State food security interventions, due to VAAs conducted by NVACs, b) six countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe used 2016 VAA results to declare national drought emergencies. South Africa has declared an emergency in 7 of 9 provinces. Regionally, SADC was able to declare a drought and set up a regional El Niño response and coordination team. In July 2016 SADC launched the regional declaration of drought and appeal, raising a total of USD$1Billion from Member States and donor.

The programme promotes synergies with SDC funded projects on seed systems, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian support in the region. Active partners in the programme include FAO, UNOCHA, USAID FEWSNET, OXFAM, Regional Inter-agency steering committee, the Food and Nutrition Security Working Group, Mozambique and Tanzania COOFs.

Phase 2 01.08.2017 - 31.03.2022   (Completed)