Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026 Time: 04:00 PM to 05:30 PM IST (+ 05:30 UTC) Organised by: All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) and Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities (AERC)
The All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) and Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities (AERC) organised an Indo-Afro Roundtable on “Lessons on Extreme Heat, Health, and Livelihood Action” on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
The roundtable brought together experts and practitioners from India and Africa to discuss practical ways to address the growing risks of extreme heat. The discussion focused on early warning to early action, data and technology, community-centred adaptation, heat-health protection, livelihood security, and heat-resilient infrastructure.
The roundtable aimed to promote South–South learning and identify opportunities for collaboration between India and Africa on locally led heat resilience, especially for vulnerable workers, informal settlements, small businesses, and at-risk communities.
🎯Key Objectives:
To exchange practical experiences from India and Africa on managing extreme heat risks.
To strengthen early warning to early action for protecting health, livelihoods, and vulnerable communities.
To identify opportunities for collaboration on community-centred heat resilience, data use, technology, and local adaptation.
💬 Key Discussion Areas:
Early Warning to Early Action: Turning heat forecasts into timely local action to protect health, workers, livelihoods, and vulnerable communities.
Data, Technology, and Decision-Making: Using climate data, digital tools, forecasting systems, and AI to improve heat risk planning and response.
Community-Centred Heat Resilience: Strengthening locally led adaptation, awareness, capacity building, cooling solutions, and heat-resilient livelihoods.
📢 The roundtable explored how learning from India and Africa could inform more inclusive, practical, and locally grounded action on extreme heat, health, and livelihoods for cities, communities, women workers, vulnerable workers, small businesses, informal settlements, and at-risk groups.
Speakers
Sandra Efua Attah Dickson
Nature-Based Solution Lead, Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities, Ghana
Short Bio
Sandra Efua Attah Dickson
Nature-Based Solution Lead, Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities, Ghana
Ms. Sandra Efua Attah Dickson is the Nature-Based Solutions Lead at Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities, Ghana, working on community-centred climate resilience, local adaptation, and sustainable solutions for extreme heat.
Safi Ahsan Rizvi
Former Advisor, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India
Short Bio
Safi Ahsan Rizvi
Former Advisor, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India
Mr. Safi Ahsan Rizvi is a senior disaster risk management leader and former advisor, NDMA, Government of India, with extensive experience in disaster preparedness, risk reduction, emergency response, and resilience-building across India.
Elvis Kyere-Gyeabour Breathe
Cities Portfolio Manager, Clean Air Fund, Ghana
Short Bio
Elvis Kyere-Gyeabour Breathe
Cities Portfolio Manager, Clean Air Fund, Ghana
Dr. Elvis Kyere-Gyeabour leads the Breathe Cities project in Ghana, with expertise in air quality monitoring, GIS analysis, public health protection, and climate impact mitigation.
Richard Matey
Executive Director, Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), Ghana
Short Bio
Richard Matey
Executive Director, Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), Ghana
Mr. Richard Matey is a climate and sustainable development leader with over 10 years of experience in climate resilience, renewable energy, youth empowerment, and community-led adaptation across Africa.
Rehanaben Riyawala
CEO, Grassroot Trading Network for Women (GTNfW), India
Short Bio
Rehanaben Riyawala
CEO, Grassroot Trading Network for Women (GTNfW), India
Ms. Rehanaben Riyawala is CEO of Grassroot Trading Network for Women, a special purpose vehicle for Hariyali Campaign, working to strengthen green Skilling, green livelihoods and economic resilience for the members of SEWA.
Denis Nkala
Expert, South-South Cooperation
Short Bio
Denis Nkala
Expert, South-South Cooperation
Dr. Denis Nkala is an expert in South-South Cooperation and an AIDMI Advisor, with experience in international development, knowledge exchange, partnerships, and cooperation among developing countries for sustainable development and resilience. He is a former Regional Coordinator (Asia and the Pacific) for the UN Office for South-South Cooperation.
All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) is a non-profit organization established and registered as a Public Trust under The Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, under the registration number F/5007Ahmedabad.
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