Africa’s wayward climate. Can information, risk management and disaster readiness outwit it?

Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) highly variable climate is a major problem for her societies and economies. The 1997-1998 El Niño climatic event was the first time that multi-seasonal forecasting techniques became a focus of sustained media attention over many months. How did concerned groups get to know about the event and about the varying levels of risk attached to it? And how did this information affect decisions about disaster risk management at international level and within countries in sub-Saharan Africa? A study by SOS Sahel International UK, casts light on how and by what channels perceptions of risk were picked up by different players and what action they were able and willing to pursue in response.