Background:
The Regional Consultation Workshop on Drought Risk Management and Mitigation was organised by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration with, the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and many other partners in 22-24 January 2024 to lay the foundation to develop a comprehensive regional framework for drought management across South Asian countries. Later after recongnising the urgency it was decided by the parties to develop the framework into a Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Strategy for South Asia. The strategy was developed through country consultations and desk reviews. The draft strategy was validated at a workshop held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 9-12 September 2024 with the participation of country representatives of seven South Asian countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The strategy was unveiled at COP 16 in December 2024 and countries have observed the need of circulating the strategy widely as possible to create ownership among the decision makes and policy makers at country level. That will only facilitate the strategy to be used effectively by the key stakeholders to achieve its primary objective, to enhance resilience against droughts, emphasising a fundamental shift from reactive to proactive approaches in drought risk management.
Mini-launches and country consultations:
The first country consultation was held in Pakistan on 24 December 2024 in Islamabad. The consultation brought together key stakeholders who drafted a report highlighting the national priorities to mitigate the adverse effects of droughts in Pakistan. Pakistan Water Partnership organised the consultation with the guidance of the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan, the National Designated Authority (NDA) for Adaptation Fund (AF). The discussions were focused on ways and means of mitigating the adverse effects of droughts in Pakistan. Implementing a comprehensive strategy encompassing water resource management, sustainable agriculture and infrastructure development, policy reforms, and scientific research were some of the governance reforms discussed at the meeting. Strengthening institutional capacities and fostering regional cooperation will be crucial in building long-term resilience against droughts and ensuring water security for future generations.
The next National Consultation on Integrated Drought Management was held in India organised by the India Water Partnership (hybrid) on 30 December 2024. The premier institutions and experts who are engaged in drought management across the country were invited to the event. Accordingly, national level experts from Government of India/State Governments like Mahalonbis National Crop Forecasting Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Indian Institute of Roorkee, Bihar Mausam Sewa Kendra, Planning and Development Department, Government of Bihar; Integrated Centre for Adaptation, DRR and Sustainability (ICARS), and institutions dealing with drought in India have participated in the consultation. The international NGOs working on resilience and climate adaptation such as IUCN, Nature Conservancy and TERI and other national NGOs participated in the discussion. Presentations were made by the international experts Valentin Aich, Senior Water and Climate Specialist, GWP/WMO and Dr Senaka Basnayake, Programme Lead, Climate Services, ADPC, Bangkok, Thailand who involved in developing the regional strategy followed by special address from the Adaptation Fund (AF) Country Focal Point for India, Ms Rajshree Ray, I.E.S, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
The National Consultation on Drought Risk Management Strategy in Nepal was carried out by the Ministry of Energy Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) on 10 January 2025 supported by GWP Nepal/ Jalsrot Vikas Sanstha in Kathmandu, Nepal. The meeting was chaired by Mr Susheel Chandra Acharya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), Nepal and attended by a total of 18 participants representing different key government stakeholders and other institutions.
GWP Bhutan/Bhutan Water Partnership conducted a bilateral discussion with the NDA the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) and communicated the next steps and way forward to develop the regional project. The government authority confirmed their collaboration by nominating a focal person.
GWP Sri Lanka/Sri Lanka Water Partnership taken a stepwise approach with the close collaboration of the NDA of AF, the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka. The first consultation was a gathering of key government stakeholders on 7 January 2025. Mr W. D. S. C. Weliwatte, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Sri Lanka welcomed the participants represented several other ministries and government institutions i.e. agriculture, irrigation, wildlife, forestry and water. Ms Nilmini Wickramarachchi, Director, Natural Resources Management Division of the Ministry of Environment and her team briefed the participants on the Regional Strategy on Drought Risk Management and Mitigation for South Asia and later invited the participants for a discussion where the priorities were harvested to develop a pre-concept note that can be incorporated to the regional proposal. A google form was circulated to gather key focus areas prior to the consultation and the draft pre-concept note was further improved through a discussion held on 5 March 2025.
GWP Bangladesh/Bangladesh Water Partnership organised the National Stakeholder Consultation on 22 February at the Department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Conference Room, WARPO Bhaban, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The 27 participants of the consultation consisted of the senior officials from 15 government institutions in addition to the officials from various non-governmental organisations. The stakeholders proposed the need for an integrated, data-driven, and policy-backed approach to drought management in Bangladesh. Strengthening early warning systems, conducting vulnerability assessments, enhancing governance, and improving drought preparedness measures will be key to building long-term resilience. Collaboration between national agencies, regional partners, and local communities is essential to ensure sustainable and inclusive drought risk management.
What we are planning:
It is imperative to acknowledge that every country participating in the project faces distinct obstacles, and the project endeavors to address national-level gaps while allowing regional exchange and cooperation to strengthen in-country impact.
Therefore, the national consultations were organised with the objective of sharing the Regional Strategy with the relevant government and non-government stakeholders and to identify and deliberate upon the potential areas that needs to be prioritised in the next step, which is to develop regional project with the aim to strengthen integrated drought management in South Asian countries.
The project’s overarching goal would be to diminish vulnerability and strengthen drought resilience in countries in South Asia. The project aims to achieve the goal by establishing regional and national drought policies, reinforcing institutional frameworks, and enhancing capacity in integrated water and drought management. Importantly, the project will lay the foundation for establishing and operationalising Climate Information and Early Warning Systems, needed for immediate drought risk management, but also to inform investment planning for medium-long term drought risk mitigation. Emphasizing a community-centric approach, the expected project will seek to address the unique challenges, needs, and requirements of each country participating in the project, based on the country’s current drought management baseline.