NDMC Works With United Nations on Drought Risk Reduction

By Dr. Cody Knutson
NDMC Research Scientist

The National Drought Mitigation Center worked closely with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction to produce a document on reducing drought risk in the most vulnerable countries. Dr. Cody Knutson, NDMC, and Dr. Pedro Basabe, ISDR, presented “Drought Risk Reduction Framework and Practices: Contributing to the Hyogo Framework for Action” at the First Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 5, 2007 (see http://www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/).

The document outlines strategies to reduce the global risk of drought through five primary themes: 1) policies and governance, 2) drought risk identification, impact assessment, and early warning, 3) drought awareness and knowledge management, 4) effective drought mitigation and preparedness measures, and 5) networks and mechanisms to encourage the implementation of drought risk reduction projects and practices.

The Drought Risk Reduction Framework is a continuation of previous efforts. In 2003, the secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) facilitated the creation of the Ad Hoc Discussion Group on Drought at the request of the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Disaster Reduction. Dr. Don Wilhite, Director of the NDMC, chaired the discussion group.

The endeavor brought together scientists and practitioners from a variety of institutes and UN agencies to propose new paradigms and actions to reduce global drought risk. The initiative resulted in an integrated approach to reducing societal vulnerability to drought, which has been used to promote drought-resilient nations and communities around the world (see http://www.unisdr.org/droughts-doc).

Subsequently, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, in January 2005, where governments adopted the landmark “Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015.” The Hyogo Framework for Action outlines priorities to build resilience of communities and nations to natural hazards.

In order to merge criteria from the ISDR’s 2003 integrated approach and the Hyogo Framework for Action, the Ad Hoc Discussion Group on Drought re-convened in Beijing, China, in June 2006. Dr. Knutson attended the Beijing meeting and chaired two working groups. At this meeting, members discussed the elements for drought policies in line with the priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Based on the recommendations from this meeting and a follow-up meeting of the Second African Drought Risk and Development Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, the NDMC and the ISDR published the Drought Risk Reduction Framework, which will soon be available on-line at the ISDR website (http://www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-index.htm). The NDMC will continue to work with the ISDR and other relevant UN agencies and interested parties to implement the recommendations outlined in the document.

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