The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is taking steps to strengthen emergency telecommunications systems across the region as climate shocks and disaster risks continue to rise.
According to Ecofin Agency, the issue was discussed this week in Harare, where policymakers, telecom regulators, and disaster management officials gathered from March 4 to March 6 at a regional workshop organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with SADC.
The meeting focused on accelerating the implementation of the Model National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP), which was adopted in 2023 to guide member states in improving communication systems during disasters.
The framework outlines how countries can integrate mobile networks, broadband infrastructure, satellite communications, and digital reporting platforms into national disaster response systems.
The aim is to ensure that governments, emergency services, and affected communities can exchange information quickly when extreme weather events disrupt normal communication channels.
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According to the ITU, more than 80% of SADC countries have already begun aligning their national disaster management frameworks with the NETP model, reflecting growing awareness of the critical role telecommunications infrastructure plays in coordinating emergency responses.
The initiative comes as southern Africa faces increasingly frequent climate-related disasters. Between 2019 and 2024, the region experienced a series of severe floods, cyclones, and prolonged droughts that affected millions of people and exposed weaknesses in national early warning and disaster response systems.
An ITU assessment published in 2024 found that fewer than half of SADC countries previously had fully operational emergency telecommunications frameworks.
Beyond improving disaster response, stronger emergency communication systems are also seen as essential for safeguarding economic infrastructure and regional trade corridors.
According to ITU estimates, extreme weather events caused average annual economic losses of about $3.2 billion in southern Africa between 2019 and 2024, underscoring the need for more resilient communication networks to support both crisis management and economic stability.
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Image Credit: SADC
