UNCCD Deputy Secretary Optimistic on Drought Management Agreement at COP17

Andrea Meza, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), has voiced optimism that negotiators at the COP17 conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, will achieve an agreement on drought management. Despite existing differences among participating parties, particularly concerning how to address drought and the nature of any international instrument, Meza believes a consensus is attainable.

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We really need to understand that we are not talking about an environmental issue when we talk about drought. We are talking about a structural risk to our economies, productivity systems, ecosystems and livelihoods.

Meza stressed a critical shift in perspective, stating that drought should no longer be viewed solely as an environmental concern. Instead, she characterized it as a profound structural risk impacting economies, productivity, ecosystems, value chains, and people's livelihoods globally. "We are talking about a structural risk to our economies, productivity systems, ecosystems and livelihoods," she stated, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of severe water shortages.

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What we are hearing from science is that we will have more frequent and intense droughts. This is the reality.

The UNCCD official highlighted that drought's effects transcend traditional boundaries, citing examples from Africa's food insecurity to disruptions in international commerce and significant agricultural losses in Europe. She also noted that regions not typically associated with water scarcity, such as the Amazon rainforest, are now experiencing drought's impact, as reported by Brazil's minister.

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This is why it is very important that countries, communities and companies move towards proactive drought management.

Scientific evidence points to increasingly frequent and intense droughts, making proactive planning an urgent necessity. Meza urged governments, communities, and businesses to move beyond reactive measures and embrace proactive drought management. This approach, she explained, requires not only generating early warning information but ensuring it effectively reaches and is acted upon by those who need it. Developing comprehensive drought plans, identifying vulnerable sectors in advance, and investing in resilience are crucial steps, she added.

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We need to know when droughts are coming. But it is not only about generating this information. It is about what we do with it.