Droughts are the natural disasters with the most far-reaching negative consequences. While rich countries are still vulnerable to drought, famines are no longer found there.
Dr Michael Brüntrup is a senior researcher at the German Development Institute (DIE) in the field of Agricultural and Food Security with focus on sub-Saharan Africa
Dr. Daniel Tsegai is a Programme Officer in charge of "Drought and Water Scarcity" Portfolio at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Bonn, Germany.
This is different in developing countries: poor, rural households are particularly affected in multiple and complex ways by the consequences of droughts and their effects: These include the lack of water for humans, livestock, pastures and crops, a failing energy supply, decreasing local food availability as well as rising food prices, deaths and the destruction of livelihoods and assets. Droughts also aggravate local conflicts over natural resources. Although it is debatable whether this will lead to major conflicts and mass migration in the short term, there is no doubt that frequent and severe droughts will increase conflicts over the long term.
The causes of drought are essentially natural. Droughts have accompanied humanity since the beginning. However, as humanity has increasingly changed its environment over the centuries, drought risks are at least partially man-made. The deforestation of forests, forest fires, overgrazing, exploitation and deterioration of soils and vegetation as well as improper water management lead to an increased susceptibility to drought. They promote the dehydration of soils and water sources, the overuse of groundwater reservoirs and, overall, reduce the resilience of landscapes and people, i.e. their ability to respond to changes in a way that avoids long-term damage.
In order to increase people´s resilience against drought, and that of ecosystems and societies, proactive approaches are crucial.
Drought affects rural areas that are often far from the political centre of a country. In addition, droughts develop slowly, and the effects are often clearly visible over long periods of time and forgotten in normal periods, and their effects are rarely systematically recorded. All three factors mean that the political and economic effects of drought are not sufficiently visible to policy makers and their willingness to tackle the root causes is lacking and therefore needs to be consolidated.
For the coming decades, climate researchers predict an increase in the severity, frequency, duration and spatial expansion of drought. At the same time, global land masses are expected to become drier overall. This will have significant effects on the inhabitants of poor countries.
General economic development can help alleviate the negative effects of drought in some countries. However, droughts, for their part, affect economic development, especially as they become more frequent and intense. Development becomes a race against time, especially in rural areas. Short-term ad hoc management of droughts only alleviates the immediate symptoms, but contributes little or nothing to longer-term internal resilience. Long-term methods need to be considered more closely.
In order to increase people´s resilience against drought, and that of ecosystems and societies, proactive approaches are crucial. In developing countries, food security should be at the heart of national drought policy and a driver of drought provisions at all levels
Drought resilience, prevention and recycling management
Drought policies should be based on the principles of risk reduction, as they play a crucial role in alleviating the effects of drought. Such principles and policy recommendations are outlined in international, voluntary agreements such as the Hyogo and Sendai Frameworks for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the groundbreaking High Level Meeting on National Drought Policy in 2013. Based on these international frameworks, the following "three main pillars" of mitigating drought risks can be defined:
Building drought monitoring and early warning system
Systems for assessing drought susceptibility and risk
Implementation of measures to limit the effects of drought and improve the response to drought
These pillars provide the affected countries with valuable guidance so they can better prepare themselves for droughts. National drought policies need to be implemented according to country-specific needs, conditions and vulnerabilities, priorities and options.
In contrast to other natural disasters, the way droughts develop often only becomes visible very late with respect to their length, severity and extent. Therefore, it is important to use the drought-free period to build resilience, while the interventions during the drought itself should start as soon as possible. Drought interventions should be designed to include precautionary measures for the next drought cycle (see Figure 1).
Sectors and sectoral measures
In order to build up drought resilience, different policies need to be activated. These include various sectoral policies for water, soil and other natural resources, agriculture and food trading, social assistance, local economic development and infrastructure, energy and health
Precautionary and management frameworks on droughts must be flexible. The effects of drought depend not only on rainfall, but also on water storage, water access and consumption. Small farmers and disadvantaged consumers are usually affected earlier than big farmers and privileged consumers.
The focus should be on "no or low regret" measures, which can be adjusted according to the best available and updated information and risk scenarios. The private storage of food and seeds can be controlled through transparent information and reliable, governmental action. Water can be used for irrigation during short periods of drought or short-term droughts, but its use may need to be limited to the most basic needs during prolonged dry periods. Vaccinations and measures to reduce livestock can be taken early to avoid price collapses. Welfare programmes can be increased, depending on the situation in the food markets as cash or in-kind.
Particularly susceptible groups
Particularly susceptible populations and ecosystems may require specific measures. For example, special strategies are often required for shepherds and nomads, who often live in particularly drought-susceptible, arid areas. In fact, so-called pastoralism is traditionally the best adaptation strategy in these regions. More recently, in addition to the increasing temporal and spatial constraints, the variety of options for herdsmen has decreased. New trends, such as population growth, education or changes in sources of income and consumption habits, also require structural changes. The improvement in the resilience of herdsmen requires the maintenance of a particularly difficult balance between the continuation of the traditional and the change to alternative livelihoods.
Furthermore, droughts often have different effects on women and girls than on men. During drought events, the school drop-out rates among girls increase due to early marriages or because they need to support their families by providing water. Women's workload and gender-based violence increase, and access to basic, hygienic sanitation for women in periods of drought is often more difficult.
Policy coherence and coordination
olicy coherence and coordination on resilience to drought are particularly important and, at the same time, difficult to achieve, as they include various levels: sectors, decision-making levels, time, socio-economic and technological transitions. Bottom-up solutions on resilience to drought offer benefits as they are more compatible with local conditions and knowledge. However, there are often difficulties in integrating them into top-down drought prevention approaches.
Economic diversification away from precipitation-dependent sources of income is particularly difficult in some rural areas, especially in sparsely populated arid and semi-arid regions. Sometimes there are simply no alternatives on a large scale, except for an exodus. Furthermore, possible trade-offs have to be considered: for example between drought resilience and optimisation under normal conditions; investment in production versus resilience-enhancing infrastructure; autonomy of food production in normal periods versus development of food markets during droughts; or specialisation benefits in combination with security measures, such as insurance or savings, versus diversification.
The implementation of multisectoral drought policies should focus on:
The establishment of a general disaster risk management framework that identifies specific drought-related measures according to specific needs and circumstances, including a coordinating body to foster cooperation between different levels of government, development partners and non-governmental organisations
Drought risk management approaches need to be integrated into
both long-term development and short-term emergency measures
Regional (cross-border) and international aspects should be explicitly considered
Drought-related national policies should actively promote bottom-up approaches by farmers, civil society and grassroots groups
Effective communication between all parties involved is enormously important for such overarching approaches. In addition, the framework on drought provision should allow for strong monitoring, assessment and knowledge management
Development budgets must ensure the flexibility of programmes and their funding. Development programmes should have the possibility to switch to "emergency mode" during a drought and to fund emergency measures
By implementing these approaches, droughts can also function as a "link" between many sectors, levels and parties and strengthen their cooperation.
This work is part of the research project "Results-oriented promotion of food security in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa" of the German Development Institute (DIE) and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) within the framework of the special initiative “ONE WORLD – No Hunger" (SEWOH). In this project, research was examined on agricultural development corridors, agroecology, water management, agricultural financing, social security, cash transfers in fragile states and the results orientation of food security approaches. Drought Resilience has emerged as an overarching policy that can and must bring together most of these issues.
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In the video format "#99SecondsWith" of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Prof. Dr Anna - Katharina Hornidge talks about the new Africa-Strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Mareike Haase and Stig Tanzmann from Brot für die Welt explain why the right to food, inclusivity, agroecology and food sovereignty are the central levers for a successful transformation.
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dr Julia Köhn, Chair of the German AgriFood Society, points out in the interview: Only if innovation and transformation are profitable in the medium term can they close the food gap in the long term.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has released a video on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. In the video, Federal Minister Svenja Schulze also speaks about the urgent need to combat global hunger and contribute to resilient agricultural and food systems.
Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dirk Meyer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, thinks: less individual solutions are needed, but more systemic approaches. Because in addition to the goals for food security, the issues of climate and biodiversity must also be taken into account.
A Contribution by Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem
High agricultural prices affect developed and developing countries alike, but the problem is aggravated for the latter through the lack of or inadequate resilience measures. Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem, AKADEMIYA2063, and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem, University of Hohenheim, explain what can be done to mitigate the negative effects on food security.
The consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have enabled many countries to open up new export markets for their agricultural goods. However, smallholder farms have been largely left out. Drawing on his experience in India, our author gives a brief overview of how this can be changed.
A contribution by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
Two years following the UN Food Systems Summit, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development and the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate hosted an official side event at the UNFSS+2. The event explored how public donors can increase the impact of their investments.
The world is currently experiencing a historic food crisis. High fertiliser prices are part of the problem. In addition to the necessary short-term aid measures, the crisis ought to be made use of to develop and implement longer-term fertiliser strategies for sustainable, in particular smallholder increases in production in the Global South.
In a world facing crises – from pandemics, armed conflicts, and climate change – how do we ensure everyone has enough food within planetary boundaries? A new podcast by Food4Transformation discover solutions talking to government officials, scientists, NGOs and farmers around the world.
The Gaza Strip depends heavily on humanitarian aid, more than ever with the current war. Gaza population is very young: Half of them are children. What is their situation on the ground? Questions for Lucia Elmi, Unicef Special Representative to the State of Palestine.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, not all financial institutions (FIs) have access to knowledge about how to implement processes to enhance rural financial inclusion. The pan-African Community of Practice (CoP) plays a pivotal role in supporting these institutions along this transformative journey.
How can agriculture engage more young people in rural areas? Advocacy and education campaigns can play an important role here. Simeon Kambalame, Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation, has launched such a campaign in Malawi.
Women and girls in poorer countries are affected in particular ways by the multiple crises the world is currently facing. Uncovering the linkages between gender, resilience and food security, experts from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) look at ways to support women and girls’ capacity to respond to crises.
The armed conflict between Israeli forces and the Hamas is escalating. What does this mean for a Gaza, region that was already heavily dependent on external aid? Questions for Dr. Muriel Asseburg, Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.
Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Podcast of the Federal Government
At the start of World Food Week around World Food Day on 16 October, Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that the fight against global hunger will only be successful with international responsibility and solidarity (german only).
From measures to promote biodiversity in Germany to more sustainable cocoa cultivation methods in Ecuador: WWF works at many different levels. At the Green Week, it will be demonstrated just how multifaceted nature conservation work is and what role each individual's decision plays.
The Agriculture and Food Security Cluster of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Zambia shows how synergies among different projects and partner organisations can help people to eat healthier, diversified food. A delegation of the Bonn based Division of Agriculture and Rural Development learned this in a field visit in the Eastern Province of the Southern African country.
Felix Phiri has been Head of the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS at the Ministry of Health in Malawi for almost 20 years. A conversation about constants and change.
The guiding orientation framework developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) summarizes the requirements for the transformation of agriculture and food systems – and identifies principles and approaches for transformative change.
Diversifying our protein supply to include plant-based foods and cultivated meat can be a game-changer for climate mitigation and climate adaptation, especially in the countries of the Global South. However, a great deal of research is still required to capitalise on this potential. And political support, as Ivo Rzegotta, Good Food Institute, demonstrates.
In Himachal Pradesh, India, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and climatic conditions are changing – with negative consequences for apple production and farmers' livelihoods. Holistic and multidimensional innovation bundles are required for the entire value chain in order to make the food system more resilient in the future.
Africa’s largest youth generation has the potential to transform agriculture sustainably. Young entrepreneurs like Febelsa in Mozambique are building agricultural businesses that fuel local growth.
A Contribution by Emmanuel Atamba & Larissa Stiem-Bhatia
Drawing on dialogues with experts in Kenya, TMG Research releases its latest policy brief highlighting the critical need to strengthen coordination mechanisms in food systems governance. Emmanuel Atamba and Larissa Stiem-Bhatia from TMG Research summarize the results.
Africa's cotton production plays a key role in the fight against poverty. The "Cotton Made in Africa" initiative promotes sustainable cultivation - one element of which is the use of organic pesticides. Entomologist Ben Sekamatte and cotton company manager Boaz Ogola talked with Jan Rübel about soil and yields.
Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.
For years, place-based approaches to development have been considered important features in development cooperation, at the BMZ and in FAO. Both organisations are aiming at advancing these approaches: an interview with Adriano Campolina from the FAO on territorial and landscape perspectives.
Companies in Africa that need financing between $20,000 and $200,000 find relatively few investors, as this sector is too large for microcredit and too small for institutional investors. This creates a "gap in the middle" where companies have limited options. A project of the World Resource Institute provides a remedy with the Landaccelerator 2020.
With the help of sustainable farming methods, soils can be preserved and made fertile again. The investment required is also worthwhile from a financial perspective.
What are the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture? Where do they help, where do they harm? Lena Luig, expert for the development policy organization INKOTA, and science journalist Ludger Weß discuss this controversial topic of international scope.
A contribution by Dr. May Hokan and Dr. Arnulf Köhncke (WWF)
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the connection between human and animal health has gained new attention. Politicians and scientists are joining forces to propagate the solution: One Health. But what is behind the concept? And can it also guarantee food security for all people worldwide?
Stig Tanzmann is a farmer and adviser on agricultural issues at ‘Bread for the World’. Jan Rübel interviewed him about his reservations about AGRA's strategy.
The Cashew Council is the first international organisation for a raw material stemming from Africa. The industry promises to make progress in processing and refining cashew nuts - and answers to climate change
A contribution by Michael Windfuhr (German Institute for Human Rights)
Land rights are no longer governed by the law of the strongest. That is what the international community has agreed to. Governments and private companies have a duty to respect human rights and avoid corruption.
A contribution by Roselyn Korleh and M. Sahr Nouwah (WHH)
The Liberian town of Kinjor is a picture-book example for what happens, if land rights aren’t protected, and it illustrates how to move forward from there. The keyword: Multi-Actor Partnership
In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.
In this article, the author describes what we know about interlinkages, what role agriculture has to play in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, and what the necessary changes in agricultural systems might look like, both on small and large-scale farms.
Regarding deforestation free supply chains, there are challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers as well as for international forest governance. Also, responsibilities for companies and potential incentives for manufacturers to use materials from fair trade and sustainable sources need to be explored. But what does “deforestation-free” actually mean?
The oceans are important for our food supply, but they are overfished. To halt this trend the global community is now taking action against illegal fishing. Journalist Jan Rübel spoke with Francesco Marí, a specialist for world food, agricultural trade and maritime policy at "Brot für die Welt," and others.
Interview with Caroline Milow and Ramon Brentführer
Groundwater resources remain dormant in the soil of African regions. Where does it make sense to use them – and where does overexploitation of nature begin? Caroline Milow (GIZ) and Ramon Brentführer (BGR) talk about potentials in the future and lessons from the past.
Recycling organic waste into soil amendments and animal feed through a transdisciplinary approach – this is what the RUNRES project, launched in four sub-Saharan African countries four years ago, seeks to achieve. Three of the project's scientists report.
The textile industry contributes significantly to environmental pollution as it produces over 100 billion garments every year, resulting in huge CO2 emissions and water consumption. Fashion designer Paul Kadjo uses banana silk as an environmentally friendly alternative to make textile production more environmentally conscious and socially just.
The Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation is committed to the preservation of forests in Kenya: The establishment of so-called buffer zones counteracts deforestation by planting trees and tea. In addition to the production of environmentally friendly tea, the project benefits the resources of the forests and the livelihoods of the communities living near the forests, says project manager Wallace Gichunge.
Besides the well known impacts of Covid19 lockdowns for the adult population, the associated school closures led to 90 percent of the world’s children with no access to schools. However, school meals are in often the only daily meal for children. Without access to this safety net, issues like hunger, poverty and malnutrition are exacerbated for hundreds of millions of children.
While Africa is the least affected region by Covid-19 so far, the number of confirmed cases and deaths on the continent is quickly rising. Despite the challenges many African countries continue to face, the African response to the coronavirus pandemic displays innovation and ingenuity.
Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.
From a circular food system in Rwanda to functioning cooled transports in Kenya: The lab of tomorrow addresses development challenges such as preventing food loss and waste
Cities play an important role in the transformation of food systems. But what exactly are the potentials and challenges? A three-way discussion between Ruth Okowa (Gain), Delphine Larrousse (World Vegetable Center) and Conrad Graf von Hoyos (GIZ).
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