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Drought Resilience, Adaptation and Management Policy (DRAMP) Framework

The Drought Toolbox is developed around the three pillars defined in the DRAMP Framework.

Drought Resilience, Adaptation and Management Policy (DRAMP) Framework

Drought Resilience, Adaptation and Management Policy (DRAMP) Framework

UNCCD

The Drought Resilience, Adaptation and Management Policy (DRAMP) Framework takes an integrated, multi-pronged approach to reduce risks and impacts of drought. Organized around six cross-cutting goals, the DRAMP Framework identifies pragmatic actions for countries to better prepare and respond to drought, and guides the design and implementation of drought policy at national to sub-national level.

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Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk

The Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk provides access to tailor-made support for an integrated approach to drought management and the latest knowledge and guidance on drought management policy and practice to countries. It was developed by The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) with support of the over 30 expert institutions, which are partners of the Integrated Drought Management Program (IDMP).

Drought management plan and policy guidance as well as country examples is available at the Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk.  

A continuously updated list of drought monitoring and early warning tools and examples is available at the Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk Pillar Section. Also, an overview of the most commonly used drought indicators and resources to apply them is available at the Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk indicator and indices database and  Handbook on Drought Indicators and Indices.

How to use the tools

UNEP-DHI Tool 

The Drought Portal is a monitoring system with freely available data for drought assessments. It provides access to several apps supporting decision makers at the local and basin level.

Tool overview

The aim is to support existing planning processes as the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis/Strategic Action Programme (TDA/SAP) and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at the basin scale and Water Safety Planning at a local scale through the technical apps. The data is updated in near-real time, and you can use the tool to generate custom reports.  

For video overview: 

Video tutorials

You can also learn more about the tool with the tutorial list on Youtube.

 

Technical exercises and User guide

Practice and learn from the technical exercises that can be download as pdf files in this Dropbox link or visit the user guide for more in-depth information on the use of the apps and the intended support for the different stages within basin and local level planning.

The Flood and Drought portal is developed by UNEP-DHI, in collaboration with the UNCCD, as part of the Drought Toolbox.

Find more databases and developed systems

The decision tree will guide you through the search questions and help find other databases and developed systems. You can skip questions when you are unsure about answers. 

Decision tree

Decision tree

Early warning systems

 

Read More: Monitoring and Early Warning

Drought: Monitoring and Early Warning

Drought is a natural hazard that can be monitored well due to the slow onset of events, enabling the observation of changes in precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, surface and ground water reserves, as well as social and economic behaviors.

Why use a Monitoring and Early Warning System? 

Most of the time, the drought is already well under way when it is recognized as such – it is impossible to predict when the drought starts or ends. The early detection of these changes is important for triggering effective and efficient actions to prepare for drought and mitigate its impacts. It is important that indicators and indices describe the impacts of drought accurately.

Drought monitoring shows the current state of a drought and how it develops over time. The level and the depth of monitoring may vary from place to place and with a degree of maturity of the monitoring system. By using the drought monitor, people can follow the development of drought through various stages. In some situations, it is possible to anticipate the climate conditions, based on the study of teleconnections, in particular, the sea surface temperatures, their causes and effects.

MEW

 

 

Drought Planning

Drought is considered as one of the most far-reaching disasters, causing short and long-term economic and social losses to millions of people.

According to the High-Level Panel on Water (2018), about 40 percent of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity, with as many as 700 million people at risk of being displaced as a result by 2030.

Against this backdrop, the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) requested the secretariat and appropriate UNCCD institutions and bodies, including the Science-Policy Interface, within their respective mandate to (a) Implement a drought initiative for the biennium 2018−2019 which proposes action on  drought preparedness systems, regional efforts to reduce drought vulnerability and risk, and a toolbox to boost the resilience of people and ecosystems to drought  (Decision 29/COP13).

Partners

The Drought Toolbox is currently being developed as part of the Drought Initiative by the close partnership collaboration of:

 

About the Drought Toolbox

Requested in The COP 13 as part of the Drought Initiative, the toolbox is being designed to provide drought stakeholders with easy access to tools, case studies and other resources to support the design of National Drought Policy Plan with the aim to boost the resilience of people and ecosystems to drought.

The drought toolbox collates a large number of tools organized in 3 modules.

Drought Monitoring and Early Warning.

Drought Vulnerability and Risk Assessment.

Drought Risk Mitigation Measures.

The Drought Toolbox is currently being developed as part of the Drought Initiative through the close partnership among UNCCD, WMO, FAO, GWP, the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) of the University of Nebraska, and UNEP-DHI.

  • Homepage picture: Photo by Patrick Augenstein, copyright UNCCD, 2018

 

 

UNCCD presents Drought Initiative at UN-Water meeting

1-2 February 2018 − Rome, Italy − UNCCD has presented its new Drought Initiative to the UN-Water members and partners who gathered for the 28th UN-Water meeting at the IFAD Headquarters in Rome to discuss global water challenges. 

The preparations for the first phase of the Drought Initiative are in full swing with the focus on helping countries develop national drought preparedness plans. The initiative has been adopted by the recent UNCCD COP13 in Ordos, China in response to the growing need to assist countries, communities, agriculture, businesses and individuals threatened by drought − a disaster that has a negative effect on a broad spectrum of social and economic aspects, from food production to public health.

The UNCCD secretariat aims to implement the Initiative in the biennium 2018−2019 by taking action on:
•    national drought preparedness plans 
•    regional efforts to reduce drought vulnerability and risk, and
•    a toolbox to boost the resilience of people and ecosystems to drought

By being prepared and acting early, people and communities can develop resilience against drought and minimize its risks. UNCCD experts can help country Parties review or validate existing drought measures and prepare a national drought plan to put all the pieces together, identify gaps and ensure that necessary steps are taken as soon as the possibility of drought is signaled by meteorological services. It is envisaged that such a plan would be endorsed and eventual action triggered at the highest political level.

UNCCD presents Drought Initiative at UN-Water meeting

 

 

UNCCD, WMO, GWP and FAO meet to discuss the Drought Initiative

25 April, 2018 – Rome, Italy – A meeting at the FAO headquarters brought together representatives of the UNCCD secretariat, FAO and WMO to explore opportunities for collaboration in the framework of the new UNCCD Drought Initiative, adopted at the COP 13 in Ordos, China. The meeting focused on various drought-related tools, programmes and projects implemented by WMO and FAO. The discussion went on to explore areas of potential cooperation by harnessing synergies, identifying joint steps and the way forward.
 
Present at the meeting were Mr. Robert Stefanski, Chief of the Agricultural Meteorology Division at WMO, Mr. Frederik Pischke, Senior Programme Officer at GWP, FAO experts Mr. Eduardo Mansur, Director of Land and Water Division and Dr. Mark Svoboda (through Skype), Director of National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska, USA. UNCCD programme officer for drought Mr. Daniel Tsegai and the Global Mechanism programme coordinator Ms. Camilla Nordheim-Larsen represented the convention.

 UNCCD, WMO, GWP and FAO meet to discuss The Drought Initiative

 

 

When the skies ran dry

Bonn, Germany – Over the past hundred years, the increase in human populations has been three times greater than during the entire previous history of mankind. More natural resources have been extracted from the earth and more land converted for cities, agriculture, and industry than ever before. On this warming planet, droughts seem to have changed their nature as well, increasing in spatial extent, duration, frequency, and severity.

The new film "When skies ran dry," produced by Dr. Patrick Augenstein, attempts to answer the following questions: How can we more actively prepare for drought on a planet more radically altered by humans than ever before? What’s causing drought in the anthropocene and how we can confront the risks and challenges it brings? The filmmakers visit some of the world’s regions affected and altered by drought, speaking to farmers, water managers, scientists and policy makers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improved health monitoring

The health implications of drought are numerous and far reaching. Some drought-related health effects are experienced in the short-term and can be directly observed and measured. However, the slow rise or chronic nature of drought can result in longer term, indirect health implications that are not always easy to anticipate or monitor. There is still limited evidence on the health impacts of drough and more research is needed. The main health effects of drought include: nutrition-related, water-related disease, airborne and dust-related disease, vector borne disease and mental health.

Advantages / Benefits
Results can be used to support the disaster risk reduction process
These systems are becoming available in more and more areas of the world, providing the opportunity to create more sophisticated data
Disadvantages
Documentation of the health effects of drought is difficult, given the complexity in assigning a beginning/end and because effects tend to accumulate over time
Most health impacts are indirect because of their links to other mediating circumstances like loss of livelihoods
Who involved
Government, NGOs, humanitarian agencies
Costs
Vary
Information sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3682759/
Evidence of success
A study on drought and the risk of hospital admissions and mortality in older adults in western USA from 2000 to 2013 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30002-5/fulltext#seccestitle70); databases that contain data on health effects of drought (MEDLINE; CINAHL; Embase; PsychINFO, Cochrane Collection)
Feasibility
The probability of drought-related health impacts varies widely and largely depends upon drought severity, structure and capacity of existing water systems, local governance of water use, economic development, baseline population vulnerability, existing health and sanitation infrastructure, and available resources with which to mitigate impacts as they occur.

Water purification technologies

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from water. The goal is to produce water fit for human consumption (drinking water), The methods used include physical processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation; biological processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon; chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.

Advantages / Benefits
Effective in improving drinking water quality
Contribute to substantial health gains in populations using them
May create profitable local enterprises (manufacturing and distribution) that will contribute to the economic sustainability of the technology and benefit the local economy
After the water has been purified
Furthermore, these technologies do not require a lot of energy to maintain as the chemical process itself is simple
Disadvantages
Users may not get the education & training needed to ensure proper use of the filters
Some technologies may be too expensive for the poorest populations and need to be subsidized
These technologies cannot remove all the impurities such as pesticides
Furthremore, they require a lot of maintenance to perform well
Who involved
Governments, humanitarian organizations
NGO
community
Costs
Vary
Information sources
https://inhabitat.com/6-water-purifying-devices-for-clean-drinking-water-in-the…
Evidence of success
In 2008 UNICEF and the Water and Sanitation Program were given the Project Innovation Award Grand Prize by the International Water Association for providing Cambodia with ceramic water filters. These water purification devices, made and distributed by Cambodian nationals, resulted in a 50 percent drop in diarrheal illnesses since they were first employed back in 2002. Developed in a joint effort between WSP and UNICEF, the filters are made from fired clay, and the tiny pores of the ceramic material are small enough to remove virtually all bacteria and protozoa. The design utilizes gravity to facilitate the filtration process, resulting in a flow rate of 1-3 liters per hour (https://www.wsp.org/sites/wsp.org/files/publications/926200724252_eap_cambodia_filter.pdf)
Feasibility
At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by those suffering from illness brought on by limited access to safe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation

Soap and sanitizer distribution programs

Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection control and reduces rates of healthcare associated infections. However, effective handwashing with soap requires reliable access to water supplies. However, more than three billion people do not have household-level access to piped water

Advantages / Benefits
Sanitizer distribution programs improve hand hygiene, which in turn reduces the chances to contract desease
Hand sanitizer and soap kill all bacteria and micro-organisms and are very portable
Disadvantages
Some of the brands available on the market are of indadequate quality and efficiency
Others are not safe for children under five and may cause eye irritation, stomachache and vomiting
Hand sanitizer and soap may kill both good and bad bacteria
Some hand sanitizing products are flameable and should be kept away from flameable objects
Who involved
Governments, NGOs
Information sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813169/
Evidence of success
The alcohol-based hand sanitizer wasmuch more effective in reducing levels of harmful bacteria compared with handwashing with soap and water in field conditions in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813169/); In a primary school study in Nairobi, Kenya, providing waterless hand sanitizer increased student hand cleaning whereas the soap intervention did not (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3771275/)
Feasibility
Water-constrained areas; particularly in hospitals and schools, where communicabale diseases can be transmitted quickly and easily because of close contact

Agrometeorological stations in highly vulnerable agricultural areas

An agrometeorological station uses the advanced remote data-acquisition unit (arQ) geared with multi-parameter weather sensors which can simultaneously measure wind speed speed and direction; air temperature; air humidity; air pressure, rain amount, duration and intensity, soil moisture and temperature, solar radiation, and sunshine duration. The station gets data from the sensor for transmission via SMS or satellite network.

Advantages / Benefits
Reduces vulnerability of the agriculture, specifically resource-poor upland farmers and communities to the impacts of climate change and related natural disasters through timely and accurate data monitoring
also can be used for the dissemination of agricultural meteorological advice, warning, forecast, bulletin and other important information needed by farmers
Disadvantages
Expensive to implement
Who involved
Governments
research institutions and networks
manufacturing companies
Costs
$1000 and up per unit retail (https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/agricultural-weather-station.html)
Information sources
https://www.cimel.fr/?weather-station=automatic-agro-weather-station&lang=en
Evidence of success
AGROMET Project in the Philippines: at least 100 stations will be produced and installed. Using the GSM technology, data collected through these sensors will be transmitted to the centralized data server. The data will be transformed into graphical representations which is accessible through a web based monitoring portal (https://asti.dost.gov.ph/projects-and-services/research-and-development/agromet-proj)
Feasibility
Establishment of agro-meteorological stations in highly vulnerable agricultural areas can be a tool for climate change adaptation and in the development of local early warning systems.

Satellite technology for drought monitoring

Consists of an artificial body placed in orbit round the earth which collects information or data by providing consistent observations at high spatial density with global coverage

Advantages / Benefits
Covers a wide area of earth or an entire country
Easy to install and to manage data from the ground
Used in wide variety of applications which go beyond weather forecasting (such as radio/TV signal broadcasting, global mobile communication and connecting remote areas)
Disadvantages
Manufacturing requires time
Design and development incur high cost
Requires to be monitored and controlled at regular periods to remain in the orbit Has life span of about 12-15 years
Who involved
Satellite manufacturers
Space agencies (governmental and private)
Private sector companies
Costs
The price to buy satellite imagery and data varies between service provider
Information sources
https://gisgeography.com/free-satellite-imagery-data-list/
Evidence of success
Satellite technology reduces the impact of flood and drought in Uganda: The Drought and Flood Mitigation Service (DFMS) uses satellite and ground-based data combined with drought and flood models, to help people respond to effects on agriculture. Information is distributed by national, local government and commercial operators to farmers and NGOs (https://www.rheagroup.com/fr/news/satellite-technology-reduces-impact-flood-drought-uganda); Satellites measuring the greenness in the Marsabit area of northern Kenya from space can help insure livestock herders against droughs: and mitigate the effects of climate change: a shift to brown will trigger payouts to pastoralists because of expected livestock deaths from drought (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-agriculture-idUSTRE59M22W20091023); In Czech republic, DROMAS Agricultural Crop Monitoring Service delivers an innovative tool to provide periodically updated information on crop types and crop cover to national administration. The service products are represented by crop maps with associated metadata layer of anomaly detection allowing monitoring of agro-environmental degradation and agricultural crop damages on the agricultural parcel level. The service is provided on-line via web mapping services (https://business.esa.int/projects/dromas-fs);
Feasibility
These systems are established in areas with a need to gather data on soil conditions

Near real-time drought monitoring systems

Establishing regular systems and protocols for government agencies such as weather services to frequently watch drought indicators, such as the precipitation based Standardised Precipitation Index, satellite-based Drought Severity Index, and/or composite indicators such as the US Drought Monitor. The near real-time system can identify drought as it occurs and before major impacts are felt. monitor the onset of drought.

Advantages / Benefits
Identifies drought as it occurs and before major impacts are felt
Allows preparation measure to be enacted in a timely fashion
Disadvantages
Requires human resource capacity and expertise
May need many metoerological stations if they are absent in a vulnerable area
Who involved
Governments
research institutions and networks
Information sources
https://www.sentinel-hub.com/explore/industries-and-showcases/use-cases-drought…
http://spei.csic.es/map/maps.html#months=1#month=9#year=2018
Feasibility
Feasible where weather (rainfall and temperature) data is collected regularly. Global-scale remotely sensed data could be used as a proxy in the absense of local weather data

Modernisation of irrigation to use less water

Enhance the efficient use of water through improved management and advanced irrigationtechnologies

Advantages / Benefits
For proper nourishment of crops certain amount of water is required
Irrigation improves the yield of crops and makes people prosperous
Sometimes large irrigation channels can be used as a means of communication
Disadvantages
Excessive seepage and leakage of water forms marshes and ponds all along the channels
It lowers the temperature and makes the locality damp due to the presence of irrigation water
Under irrigation canal system valuable residential and industrial land is lost
Who involved
Irrigation companies
Farmers
NGOs
Government
Information sources
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-install-drip-irrigation
Evidence of success
Northern Chu and Southern Ma Rivers Irrigation System in Viet Nam (https://www.adb.org/projects/40239-012/main)
Feasibility
Irrigationsystems are feasible in areas where crop fail for lack of water

New or expanded irrigation systems

Develop new irrigation water systems to deliver water to crops in times of water shortages and stress

Advantages / Benefits
Improve crop yields and enhances food security
Disadvantages
Diverting water for irrigation can have environmental impacts to freshwater ecosystems
Irrigation infrastructure can be expensive
Who involved
Governments, farmers, irrigation companies
Costs
Highly variable depending on technology used and size of irrigation infrstructure development
Information sources
https://www.gov.uk/dfid-research-outputs/topic-guide-irrigation-infrastructure-…
Feasibility
Feasible where crops receive insufficient natural rainfall on a regular season basis

Deficit irrigation

Application of irrigation water during drought-sensitive growth stages of a crop. Outside these periods, irrigation is limited or even unnecessary if rainfall provides a minimum supply of water. Water restriction is limited to drought-tolerant phenological stages, often the vegetative stages and the late ripening period.

Advantages / Benefits
Maximises productivity of water without significantly compromising yield
Stabilises crop yileds compared to rainfed cultivation
Reduces nutrient loss and leaching of the root zones, resulting in better groundwater quality and less fertilizer requirements compared to full irigation
Disadvantages
Requires extensive knowledge of crop water requirements and dependable water supplies
Increases risk of soil salinisation
Who involved
Governments, farmers, research institutes
Costs
Low
Information sources
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/Y3655E/y3655e03.htm
Evidence of success
Drought-Ready Communities: Different institutions: the project has been piloted in three communities in the USA: Nebraska City, NE; Decatur, IL; and Norman, OK.These communities benefited from an enhanced public awareness of water, climate, and drought issues (http://droughttest.unl.edu/Planning/PlanningProcesses/DroughtReadyCommunities.aspx)
Feasibility
Feasible when crop water requirements are well known and there is access to irrigation water during periods of high demand (during drought sensitive stages of the crop)

Media information and drought awareness raising campaigns

Raising public awareness means creating a campaign with a specific message on a particular issue

Advantages / Benefits
People become aware of the issue of drought
Enhance audience preparedness to tackle the issue
Audience can transmit the message to other people
Disadvantages
Difficult to keep the massage of the campaign fresh and interesting
Hard to gain the attention of target audience
Effectiveness of the campaign is not always measurable
Who involved
NGOs
local institutions
schools
Costs
Vary
Information sources
https://bizfluent.com/make-successful-awareness-campaign-5644.html
Evidence of success
Midwest farmers rotate livestock, no just crops, to restore the land (https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-08-05/some-farmers-are-rotating-livestock-not-just-crops-protect-land_
Feasibility
It has been shown to change knowledge and attitudes about a single topic

Livestock rotation practices and de-stocking

Livestock rotation approach relies on grazing different types of animals on the same land in a carefully controlled pattern, which ideally will enhance the land they roam. With several different animals, the technique is sometimes called multi-species grazing. Destocking refers to reducing the animal stock during drought.

Advantages / Benefits
Livestock rotation: more efficient use of pastures, better weed control, more parasite control, healthier and more productive soil, as well as more income per acre if you can accommodate more animals
Destocking: A successful drought strategy allows to focus limited resources (forage and stock water) on the breeding stock based on carefully selected traits and performance criteria
Disadvantages
Livestock rotation requires more facilities, labour and management, as well as high initial investment, short-term losses and loans
Who involved
Farmers
Costs
Vary
Information sources
https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2010/10/18/advantages-of-multispecies-grazing/
https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/files/181318.pdf
Evidence of success
Index-based livestock insurance project in Mongolia (http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2009/09/23/index-based-livestock-insurance-project)
Feasibility
Livestock rotation:for farmers who look for more deversified economic potential, sustainability and ecological health

Livestock insurance

An insurance policy providing coverage for losses due to the death or injury of one's livestock

Advantages / Benefits
Stability in income
Minimal debts
Disadvantages
Cost
Payments not always correlated with the loss
Who involved
Breeders
Insurance providers
Costs
A per-head cost will be determined by the coverage you choose
Information sources
https://www.trustedchoice.com/farm-ranch/livestock-cattle/
Feasibility
In all areas where it is fundamental to protect livestock keepers from drought-related losses

New livestock watering points

Dams, troughs or other built infrastructure to supply water to livestock to ensure they have sufficient water during drought.

Advantages / Benefits
Keeps livestock alive during drought
Stability of income
Disadvantages
Can be costly if water resources are not easily accessible
Can put additional pressure on water resources
Requires potentially expensive infrastructure
Who involved
Farmers
Costs
Variable depending on access to water
Information sources
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ANR-12
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/Water%20for%20Food%20Water%20for%20Life/Ch…
https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/s147.pdf
Feasibility
Feasible where there is access to groundwater and/or surface water resources

Use of indigenous feed and fodder

Use local native plant species which will be more sutable to local climates as the major or supplementary feed source.

Advantages / Benefits
Indgenous feed is likely to be more resilient to drought than other traditional feed sources
Will keep livestock alive during times of low feed
Disadvantages
May need initial investment to change feed and fodder types
Who involved
Farmers
Research Institutes
Government
Costs
Variable depending on availability of indigenous species
Feasibility
Feasibe where palatable local plant (grass, tree, shrub) species are present and highly fecund and/or where seed can be acquired and sown.