Just as many parts of the world are increasingly waking up to the serious need of mobilising improvements on disaster early warning systems and increased investment in risk reduction, the African region is also forced join the marathon to do so. A number of African countries are currently navigating the muddy waters of rebuilding their communities after tragic cyclones and flooding. Not only are they re-building their communities, they are also facing an added challenge of building back better and resilient infrastructure that will withstand future disasters. At the recent Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva, Switzerland, land-use planning was the buzz word. Jane Rabothata reports