New Initiatives at UNCCD COP16

New initiatives and the World Drought Atlas 2024 were launched at UNCCD COP16 under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership

• Introduction: The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, announced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during UNCCD COP16.
  • It aims to tackle the growing challenges posed by drought globally by mobilizing public and private finance.
• Objective:
  • To assist 80 drought-hit countries, particularly Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), in implementing drought resilience measures.
  • To mobilize global resources and shift the focus from short-term relief to long-term preparedness and sustainability.
  • To save lives and livelihoods by promoting international cooperation, facilitating knowledge sharing, and building capacity.

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• Funding Mechanism:
  • The partnership will rely on a combination of public and private funding sources.
  • Funding will be secured through voluntary contributions from governments, financial institutions, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders.
  • The partnership employs blended financing models, including:
    • Concessional loans
    • Commercial loans
    • Equity participation
    • Insurance schemes
    • Savings programs
• Initial Funding: An initial commitment of $2.15 billion has been pledged by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,  Islamic Development Bank,  and OPEC Fund for International Development.
  • The Arab Coordination Group is expected to announce additional pledges during COP16.
• Implementation Plan:
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: The partnership will collaborate with governments, NGOs, and private sectors to identify and prioritize impactful projects.
  • Technical and Financial Support: Assistance will be provided for the design, execution, and scaling of drought resilience initiatives in vulnerable regions.
  • Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building: Facilitating the exchange of expertise and training for communities, organizations, and governments to build lasting resilience.
• Key Partnerships and Collaboration: Collaboration with the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), co-chaired by Spain and Senegal, to align efforts and enhance synergies for global drought resilience.

World Drought Atlas

• The World Drought Atlas 2024, launched by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
• Objective:
  • To depict the systemic risks of drought across critical sectors.
  • To describe concrete measures and pathways to manage, reduce, and adapt to drought risks.
• Implementation:
• The Atlas is an interactive online platform that provides data and analysis on drought risk.
  • It will be updated regularly with new information.
  • The Atlas is intended to be a valuable tool for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.
• Funding: The Atlas is funded by the UNCCD, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), and other partners.

Key Highlights of 2024 World Drought Atlas launched at Riyadh

• Widespread Impact by 2050: Approximately 75% of the global population will be affected by drought by 2050, exacerbated by climate change and human mismanagement.
• Drought as a Multidimensional Crisis: Beyond climate extremes, droughts are worsened by factors like unsustainable water use, poor land management, and competition for water resources among sectors (agriculture, energy, and trade).
• Sectoral Impact: Droughts significantly affect energy production, agriculture, and trade, with ripple effects on food security and livelihoods.
• Call for Data and Monitoring: Effective drought management requires investments in monitoring systems, data sharing, early warning systems, and risk forecasting.
• Insights Specific to India
• • Agricultural Vulnerability: India is particularly vulnerable due to its large agricultural workforce (over 25 million people).
    • Predicted drought impacts include significant losses in soybean yields, threatening farmer livelihoods.
  • Case Study – Chennai’s ‘Day Zero’ (2019): Despite high annual rainfall (~1,400 mm) and rainwater harvesting mandates, mismanagement of water resources and unplanned urbanization led to a severe water crisis.
  • Water Mismanagement: Between 2020 and 2023, India witnessed riots and tensions over water mismanagement, a phenomenon expected to worsen without policy interventions.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: The region is predicted to experience rising tensions due to increasing drought intensity and water competition.

Drought Mitigation Recommendations in  World Drought Atlas 2024

• Policy-Level Action: Strong national and international policies are needed to promote drought resilience.
  • Actions should address land and water use practices and encourage sustainable development.
• Improved Practices: Adoption of appropriate soil and agronomical management techniques to reduce drought impacts on agriculture.
• Investment in Forecasting and Knowledge Sharing: Developing monitoring systems and sharing data internationally to predict and mitigate drought risks.
• Role of IDRA: The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), formed in 2022, supports innovative funding mechanisms, knowledge sharing, and impactful actions to combat drought globally.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Cooperation between governments, private sectors, and civil society to ensure resilience across energy, agriculture, and trade.

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About International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO)

• IDRO is the first global, AI-powered data platform for proactive drought management and an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA). 
• The Observatory will provide a single portal where managers can easily analyse and visualise key social and environmental drought resilience indicators and use them to make practical decisions.
• Objective:
  • To build a global, AI-powered data platform for drought resilience.
  • To provide timely and accurate information on drought conditions.
  • To support decision-making and early warning systems.
• Implementation: IDRO will collect and analyze data from a variety of sources, including satellite imagery, weather stations, and ground observations.
  • The platform will use AI to identify and track drought events.
  • IDRO will provide early warnings to governments and communities.
• Funding: The IDRO is funded by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA).
  • The Alliance is a partnership of governments, NGOs, and private sector organizations.