This publication highlights the increasing global threat posed by drought, a "silent" and slow-onsetting disaster with unpredictable long-term outcomes. Agriculture, particularly in developing nations, bears the brunt of drought’s impact, affecting water accessibility, land suitability, crop production, and food security, ultimately endangering the livelihoods of over 1.3 billion people.

In response, the FAO, through a Global Environment Facility-funded project, supports countries in aligning their National Drought Plans (NDPs) with national regulatory frameworks. This initiative is part of the broader effort to enhance resilience through integrated drought management, which includes monitoring and early warning systems, risk and impact assessments, and mitigation strategies to prevent severe developmental setbacks and ecosystem damage.

In this context, this brief presents a phased approach for activities that are related to the NDPs and their alignment with sectoral policy frameworks. The phased approach consists of three steps: the implementation of a multicriteria framework to analyse the readiness of the plans for implementation; the application of a policy alignment analysis to cross-compare NDPs with the national regulatory frameworks; and the consultation with the Drought Initiative members to develop strategies for the review and alignment of NDPs. 

To access the full document, press here