The aim of the Programme is to alleviate poverty in drought-affected regions of the world through an integrated approach to drought management, cutting across sectoral, disciplinary, and institutional jurisdictions. The Programme intends to provide policy and management guidance through the globally coordinated generation of scientific information, sharing knowledge and best practices for drought risk management.
As stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC, 2007), the world has become more drought-prone during the past 25 years and projections for the 21st century show clear increase frequency in drought events. The overarching approach proposed for the Programme centres around four key principles:
- shift the focus from reactive to proactive measures.
- integrate vertical planning and decision making processes at regional, national and community levels.
- promote the evolution of a consistent knowledge base and sharing.
- build capacity of various stakeholders, and support drought management efforts.
GWP Executive Secretary Dr. Ania Grobicki also attended the Consultation together with some GWP regional representatives. All together 36 representatives of the European Commission, FAO, the Secretariat of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Red Cross, ICID, WaterAid-UK, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, UNESCO, US Department of Agriculture, US National Drought Mitigation Center, WMO and GWP took part in the meeting.