The West and Central African region has been experiencing recurrent flooding, causing significant material destruction and human casualties. In Burkina Faso and Mali, around 42,000 people were affected by floods during last year’s rainy season. However, despite the widespread impacts caused by natural hazards upon communities in a situation of vulnerability, comprehensive disaster risk reduction initiatives have not yet been effectively implemented. Both countries have placed this issue as one of their priorities and have therefore requested IOM’s assistance to enhance their capacity with regards to disaster risk reduction. The proposed project will contribute to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Education and the Directorate General of Civil Protection, particularly in the areas of education, early warning systems and public awareness. More specifically, the project will seek to achieve the two following outcomes: • The Ministry of Education of both Burkina Faso and Mali integrate disaster risk reduction into school curriculum; • The National Directorate of Civil Protection of both countries adequately and efficiently coordinate disaster preparedness and response actions through strengthened early warning systems. The overall objective is to mitigate disaster risks in the respective countries, thereby ultimately reducing forced displacement.