World Meteorological Organization and Agricultural Droughts - Monitoring and Predicting Agricultural Drought: A Global Study - page 409

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Priority areas for attention include enhanced observing systems at national,
regional, and international levels; promoting the mitigation of the effects of
drought and desertification through effective early warning systems; sup-
porting and strengthening the capabilities of members and regional institu-
tions and improved applications of meteorological and hydrological data.

W MO and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

The Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction (IATF) is one of the
most important new institutional arrangements established under the In-
ternational Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). According to United
Nations General Assembly Resolution 54/219, the IATF is “the main fo-
rum within the United Nations for continued and concerted emphasis on
natural disaster reduction.” WMO chairs the Working Group I on “cli-
mate and disasters” of IATF and selected drought as the major topic to
improve synergy between the four ISDR working groups. A number of
meetings have already been held to develop a common strategy to address
th e drought issues.

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Norm
PgEn

C onclusions
Drought is an insidious natural hazard that is a normal part of the cli-
mate of virtually all regions. It should not be viewed as merely a physical
phenomenon. Rather, drought is the result of interplay between a natu-
ral event and the demand placed on water supply by human societies. It
is important to build awareness of drought as a normal part of climate.
Improved understanding of the different types of drought and the need for
multiple definitions and climatic/water supply indices that are appropri-
ate to various sectors, applications, and regions is a critical part of this
awareness-building process. As with other natural hazards, drought has
both physical and social component. It is the social factors, in combina-
tion with our exposure, that determine risk to society. It is obvious that
well-conceived policies, preparedness plans, and mitigation programs can
greatly reduce the vulnerability of the farming community and the risks
associated with drought. Thus, planners and other decision-makers must
be convinced that drought mitigation strategies are more cost effective than
post-impact assistance or relief programs. It seems clear that investments
in preparedness and mitigation will pay large dividends in reducing the
impacts of drought. WMO has a major role to play in drought prepared-
ness and mitigation strategies through its leadership role in early warn-
ing systems and preparedness strategies. The strong foundations laid by
WMO through its research, applications, and capacity-building initiatives
around the world are showing impressive results in dealing with events
such as the 1997-98 El Niño. WMO stands ready to assist the agricultural
community in developing strategies to coping effectively with agricultural
droughts.

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