UN organizations among those hosting meeting on drought policy

Institutions that are part of the United Nations, along with partners including the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will be hosting a meeting on national drought policy in Geneva this month, in an effort to combat the effects of what has become the most destructive natural catastrophe.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) are among the partners that will host the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy March 11 to 15.

“Since time immemorial, drought has been a feature of the natural variability of our climate,” noted WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. “The frequency, intensity, and duration of droughts are expected to rise in several parts of the world as a result of climate change, with an increasing human and economic toll. We simply cannot afford to continue in a piecemeal, crisis-driven mode.”

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The purpose of the meeting is to encourage countries to move from crisis management to disaster-risk reduction, which the host organizations note has been a successful strategy for other natural catastrophes such as tropical cyclones and floods.

Specific meeting targets include:

• “Proactive mitigation and planning measures, risk management, public outreach and
• resource stewardship as key elements of effective national drought policy.
• Greater collaboration to enhance the national, regional and global observation networks and information delivery systems to improve public understanding of, and preparedness for,
• drought.
• Incorporation of comprehensive governmental and private insurance and financial strategies into drought preparedness plans.
• Recognition of a safety net of emergency relief based on sound stewardship of natural
• resources and self-help at diverse governance levels.
• Coordination of drought programmes and response in an effective, efficient and customer oriented manner.”

“Despite being predictable, drought is the most costly and the deadliest disaster of our time,” noted said UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja.

“The decision to mitigate drought is ultimately political. Governments of all drought-prone countries need to adopt, mainstream and operationalize national drought policies, based on the principles of early warning, preparedness and risk management,” Gnacadja added.

“The cost of crisis management far exceeds that of risk management and early action and we should not wait until the next drought, causing famine and claiming human lives.”