RRSU activities are conducted in association with the national Departments of Meteorological Services (DMS), National Early Warning Units (NEWUs) and National Disaster Management Units (NDMUs). The DMSs are the principal contact points for RRSU in the SADC countries. At the regional level, the RRSU corresponds with the SADC Disaster Management office, Drought Monitoring Center (Harare), and the SADC Water Division.

The RRSU has working relationships with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), USAID’s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Other international partners include the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), who have worked with the RRSU in the area of capacity building.

The RRSU also works with Universities all over the world in the area of research and capacity building.