July 2013: Underscoring that droughts affect more people annually than any other type of natural disaster, the July edition of ‘Issues in the Spotlight’ of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) describes the increased international attention given to national drought policies in the lead up to, and following. the first High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy.

The newsletter calls for policy makers to break the crisis management cycle and move toward pro-active risk management strategies. It describes the Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP), which took place in March 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Declaration requests FAO, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to support countries in developing and implementing National Drought Management Policies.

The brief also highlights a series of regional meetings held in 2013 and 2014, in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as the new focus on building partnerships to address drought. [Publication: FAO Issues in the Spotlight] [IISD RS posts on the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy] [FAO Natural Resources and Environment Homepage]