A series of regional workshop brought together a total of 38 experts across African countries in late 2024 and summer 2025. The primary aim was to strengthen resilience reporting in support of the Malabo Declaration.

“This workshop is a milestone in our shared journey to strengthen resilience analysis across Africa,” said Koffi Amegbeto, FAO Senior Policy Officer. “By building the skills and systems needed to measure resilience, we are equipping countries with the tools to design better policies and track progress over time,” he said.

Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in in-depth theoretical and practical sessions on the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA) methodology. The training covered critical topics such as data preparation, analysis using the E-RIMA tool, and indicator validation.

When reflecting on the importance of this workshop, Deputy FAO Representative in Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Louis Muhigirwa noted, "These activities are not merely technical exercises." “They are fundamental steps towards building resilient agricultural systems and livelihoods across Africa," he added.

These sessions were designed to build national capacity to assess the resilience of farming, pastoral, and fisher households facing climate and socioeconomic shocks.

Workshop participants in Harare, Zimbabwe.  

This initiative is closely aligned with FAO’s commitment to supporting African Union member states in reporting on Commitment 6 of the Malabo agenda, which focuses on resilience to climate variability and shocks.

Notably, 40 countries reported the resilience-related indicator during the last biennial review of Malabo, with data preparation, analysis, and indicator estimation conducted by national statisticians under the supervision of FAO's RIMA experts.

This demonstrates the ownership built throughout the Malabo cycle. The initiative also contributes to the continent’s broader goals for agricultural transformation and food security.