National Disaster Management Centre Head (NDMC) , Dr Elias Sithole has oHicially opened the G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group day 2 side event which will focus on investing ahead of impact; investing in risk information, knowledge, and innovation to build resilience of critical infrastructure and housing. Speaking at the session Dr Sithole extended a warm welcome to distinguished guests, including representatives from the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, global experts, disaster management heads and government oHicials.

“We gather not only as representatives of nations and institutions,” Dr. Sithole said, “but as a global community united by a shared responsibility to reduce disaster risk, protect lives and livelihoods, and build resilient societies for generations to come.”

Dr. Sithole emphasised that the discussions taking place at the G20 DRR Working Group come at a critical time globally, as the world faces increasingly frequent and intense disasters - whether technological, biological, or climate-related - which challenge sustainable development and test the limits of national and local capacities.

He noted that the G20, through its dedicated Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group, has placed resilience at the heart of its global agenda, emphasizing that this goal can only be achieved through collective action.

Dr. Sithole encouraged delegates to engage openly, share lessons from their respective countries, and collaborate on practical recommendations that will strengthen the implementation of global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. He stressed that the insights drawn from this side event would enrich broader G20 deliberations and inform national and regional disaster management strategies.

Dr. Sithole concluded by thanking all partners and participants for their commitment, noting that their presence signifies a shared determination to move “from words to action, and from vision to implementation.”

With that, he oHicially declared the G20 DRR Day 2 Side Event open, marking another milestone in South Africa’s ongoing eHorts to promote global cooperation and innovation in disaster resilience and risk reduction.