What is Periperi U? 

Periperi U is a platform for university partnership to reduce disaster risks in Africa. It stands for ‘Partners Enhancing Resilience to People Exposed to Risks’ – with a special focus on advancing university action on risk and vulnerability reduction in Africa.  In the past, international humanitarian assistance and appeals were viewed as the primary assistance mode for disaster-affected African countries and communities, and seldom engaged Africa’s institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately, these efforts also discouraged the development of basic risk-related education, training and research capabilities at tertiary level, which, as Asia and Latin America have shown, are critical for context-appropriate vulnerability reduction and disaster risk management.

How did Periperi U begin?

Periperi U began with a ‘pilot-test’ year in 2006-2007 in five academic institutions in South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Algeria. This ‘test’ year, funded by USAID/OFDA, resulted in six locally relevant risk reduction short courses being conducted by four institutions that reached over 170 practitioners and students – covering a broad portfolio of topics, from seismic vulnerability to community risk assessment.

Periperi U 2008 - 2011

The clear successes from this first year provided confidence to embark on a three-year project across the entire continent, with the aim of strengthening teaching and learning capacity in institutions across West, East and southern Africa.  Also, mindful of Africa’s rapidly rising urban risk profile and increasing exposure to climate risks, the project has chosen to focus specifically on hydrometeorological hazards and urban risk reduction.

Funded by: