Humanitarian needs will persist if nothing is done to improve collective efforts to implement highly cost-effective prevention, preparedness, resilient recovery and long term risk informed sustainable development. Most countries in the region are still in the beginning stages of developing resilience strategies. Malawi, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are the countries where resilience initiatives have made most progress. Efforts are also underway or being planned in Mozambique and Mauritius. During two SADC workshops (the 2014/15 PostSeason Workshop, and the 2015/16 Pre-Season Workshop), several Member States expressed interest in initiating discussions among government line ministries to mainstream resilience approaches and in developing national resilience strategies. A number of resilience building initiatives are however already taking place even in contexts where there is no official resilience framework. Zimbabwe developed a national Resilience Strategic Framework in March 2015, focused around improving food and nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods and capacities to manage risks; increasing access to social/basic services; social protection; mainstreaming resilience in relevant sector policies; and risk-financing mechanisms (e.g. crisis modifiers). The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) was set up in 2015 to provide a flexible, coordinated, timely and predictable mechanism to support the achievement of increased national resilience to food and nutrition security shocks aligning to nationallydetermined priorities. During 2013-14, the World Food Programme (WFP) helped Lesotho develop a Resilience Strategic Framework. However, some resilience-building activities have been successfully piloted with the potential to be scaled up. In addition, a number of safety nets have been established that also have the potential to be scaled up. Malawi developed a Resilience Strategy for Food Security in 2012 that includes the introduction of practical, community-based, early recovery projects, providing the basis for temporary employment, training and income generation towards selfsufficiency. Tanzania is currently implementing medium term strategies for food security including the creation of community seed banks, strengthening extension and veterinary services, and improving the workforce skills in crop diversification and postharvest processing techniques. Mozambique is seeking support to strengthen the adoption of good agricultural practices and stimulate the adoption of innovative sustainable agricultural practices to farmers that helps to cope with drought/dry spells. Angola has identified the need of scaling up existing food security and livelihood support, basic service, and small infrastructure development and for stronger inter-sectorial collaboration among multiple stakeholders for data gathering, and objectives settings at country level. There is an urgent need to support the countries in the region to develop capacities that will enable effective integration of global decisions and resolutions for climate action and disaster risk management outlined in the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework respectively for more resilient risk informed development trajectories towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). National ownership and government commitment to risk informed resilient based development response to El Niño and La Niña is crucial for recovery and rapid return to sustainable development. This will ensure that resilience building solutions are also implemented rapidly in affected countries linking short and long term strategies – bridging the humanitarian and development divide - on an ongoing basis and play a critical role in the generation of assets that should prove valuable in times of crises. Such support towards sustainable livelihoods will in the long run allow vulnerable populations to overcome drought or flooding crises in future. The adoption of technology and innovation is important for resilience building. Support to intensify introduction of various innovative drought tolerant agriculture practices including climate smart agriculture to prevent soil erosion and conserve water during dry spells for the coming seasons will be critical in improving yields and creating food security and providing communities with adequate resources to adapt and withstand crises and hazards that may occur due to climaticinduced hazards. Resilience building of pastoral communities should also be a key area of focus in addressing the impact of El Niño. Support to the livestock sector for affected communities to manage rangeland / pasture and water necessary to maintain livestock feed and watering livestock 29