8 June 2010
UNCCD and UNISDR Sign MOU
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30 May 2010: The Secretariats of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Bonn, Germany, on 30 May 2010.

The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration on reducing the vulnerability of communities to drought-related risk and to expand networks […]

30 May 2010: The Secretariats of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Bonn, Germany, on 30 May 2010. The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration on reducing the vulnerability of communities to drought-related risk and to expand networks that will advance the prevention of drought-associated disasters.
The agreement between the two UN agencies advances the objectives of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, a UNISDR-supported global blueprint for disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts, and the UNCCD’s 2008-2018 strategic plan. As part of the MOU, the UNCCD will work with UNISDR and other relevant international bodies to deliver an early warning system for drought and to develop action plans to enhance resilience to climate change.
UNCCD and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have worked together to establish the Drought Management Center for South Eastern Europe. In December 2009, UNCCD and WMO co-sponsored a drought workshop that recommended the use of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) by countries to characterize climate-driven drought. Based on this workshop, UNISDR and WMO are organizing meetings on indices for droughts that affect agriculture and those associated with ground water systems. The outcomes of these meetings will be included in the 2011 UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and reported at future UNCCD meetings. [UNCCD Press Release]

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