Eswatini to Unite SADC for Disaster and Drought Resilience
By Nomonde Mafu
Eswatini has declared its resolve to spearhead a united Southern African response to the growing threat of droughts and disasters, positioning itself as a regional leader in resilience-building.
Deputy Prime Minister Thuli Dladla said the country would host a landmark Disaster Risk Management and Drought Resilience Forum this month, a gathering she described as ‘the beginning of a new era’ for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Speaking in Mbabane, Dladla said the Forum, taking place from September 15 to 19 at the Happy Valley Hotel in Ezulwini, would draw more than 150 delegates from across the region and beyond, with the valued support of the World Bank.
Government representatives, academics, civil society, development partners and practitioners would converge with one shared mission: to strengthen regional collaboration against the creeping but devastating impacts of drought.
She noted that while disasters like floods and cyclones strike with sudden force, drought remained the silent crisis, slowly undermining agriculture, water supply, energy systems, health, education, and business.
The costs, she said, were not only humanitarian but also economic and developmental, as communities fall deeper into poverty and inequality widens.
“Entire communities face loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, and worsening inequality. The scars of drought can last for years,” she warned.
Recalling Eswatini’s own painful experience during the 2016 El Niño-induced drought, Dladla said nearly 19 per cent of government expenditure was consumed in responding to the crisis.
Reservoirs and rivers dropped to critical levels, water shortages hit both rural and urban areas, businesses slowed, and agriculture, the backbone of household sustenance, was devastated.
“The very quality of life in homes and communities was severely disturbed,” she recalled.
She stressed that the lesson had been clear and governments could not afford to wait for hazards to strike.
“We adopted a forward-looking approach that emphasises anticipation, preparedness, and resilience. This Forum is about changing the narrative and ensuring drought risk management becomes a proactive pillar of our development,” she said.
The Ezulwini meeting will mark two milestones. The first is the launch of both the SADC Disaster Risk Reduction Platform and Eswatini’s own National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Dladla explained that these would provide spaces for policy dialogue, coordination and engagement among multiple stakeholders, ensuring stronger collaboration across sectors and borders.
“No country should stand alone in facing these challenges,” she said firmly.
The second milestone is the establishment of the Eswatini Drought Centre of Excellence, a regional hub tasked with generating knowledge, conducting research, supporting policy development, and sharing best practices.
According to Dladla, the Centre will fuse advanced scientific knowledge, such as climate modelling and forecasting, with traditional and community-based knowledge that has guided generations.
The outcome, she argued, would be stronger early-warning systems, better preparedness, and improved protection for vulnerable communities.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that the Forum would also honour champions of drought resilience, individuals and institutions across SADC, whose innovative practices proved that local solutions were both possible and scalable.
Their stories, she said, would serve as evidence that resilience was not a dream but an achievable reality when knowledge, commitment, and community participation converged.
Beyond technical discussions, Dladla said the event was a chance for Eswatini to showcase its leadership, hospitality, and cultural spirit.
“This September, Eswatini will open its doors to the region.
We will welcome our brothers and sisters from SADC, our development partners, and our friends from across the globe. We want them to see that Eswatini is not only a host but also an active contributor to regional resilience,” she said.
For the Deputy Prime Minister, the Forum represents pride and opportunity. She argued that hosting it signalled Eswatini’s growing leadership in disaster risk reduction and resilience,
and a chance to prove that regional solidarity could withstand even the most persistent of crises. She urged citizens, the media, and communities to extend the hand of friendship to visitors and ensure that the gathering is remembered not only for the ideas exchanged but also for the warmth and unity of our people.
Her message was clear, and that Eswatini saw itself not just as a participant in the SADC community but as a convener, ready to lead a united front against the existential threat of droughts that continue to stalk the region.
