Risk of drought looms ahead as an unprecedented emergency
Source: Asia Insurance Review | Jan 2024
Recent drought related data based on new research in the last few years and compiled by UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) points to “an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale, where the massive impacts of human-induced droughts are only starting to unfold”.
The UNCCD report Global Drought Snapshot produced in collaboration with International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) was launched at COP28 climate talks currently underway in the UAE.
According to the report, few if any hazard claims more lives, causes more economic loss and affects more sectors of societies than drought.
UNCCD is one of three conventions that originated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The other two address climate change (UNFCCC) and biodiversity (UN CBD).
The report also highlights land restoration, sustainable land management and nature positive agricultural practices as critical aspects of building global drought resilience. By adopting nature-positive farming techniques, such as drought-resistant crops, efficient irrigation methods, no-till and other soil conservation practices, farmers can reduce the impact of drought on their crops and incomes. A