The expected roles of focal points and resource persons from different institutions were introduced. They include the filling of survey forms followed by the validation of the report summarizing the regional initiatives in the area of drought; the attendance of regional meetings of the core group, the Regional Workshop in October and the stock taking workshop in November. The focal points are expected to get involved in regional IDMP actions and specifically the establishment process of a regional platform on Integrated Drought Management (IDM).
The participants highlighted during the discussions that thorough studies have been already developed by NOAA, the US meteorological Agency and the IDMP-WA should partner with the NOAA to find a data validation mechanism. Partnership connections should be established with CILSS for the institutional aspects and with INERA in terms of field activities in Burkina Faso. Network of farmers should be included in the platform and an expert on institutional issues should work to define the institutional framework of the regional platform on GIS.
Drought cannot be separated from floods because the two concepts are intrinsically linked. For example, drought causes people to alter the land use and this uncontrolled occupation is one of the causes of flooding when the water path is blocked.
One of the action to be carried out by the IDMP would be to review the parameters used for the designing of hydraulic structures during floods. A partnership with research institutes and schools could allow to make a review of hydrological standards to make an update of these parameters.
Finally, the participants recommended that actions to be taken should be "simple" actions and avoid dispersion in order to achieve the expected results of the project.