UNCCD officially launched the International Alliance for Drought Resilience at the UNFCCC COP27
“No country is immune to drought and its impacts on food, water, and energy security, forced migration and natural resource conflicts,” says the International Alliance for Drought Resilience.
Officially launched during the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change 27th Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP27) this past month, Spain first announced the Alliance at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2022. The Alliance responds to the need for a global collaborative platform for increasing drought resilience. It is co-led by Senegal.
During the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) high-level ministerial side-event at the UNFCCC COP27, Rising up from drought together: Towards global action for drought resilience, CA4SH co-lead Dr Leigh Winowiecki called for a collaborative and proactive approach to drought that was echoed by key speakers spanning sectors and scales.
The Alliance hears this call through their objectives of
Generating political momentum,
Promoting full engagement from stakeholders,
Facilitating knowledge sharing and networking, and
Consolidating regional initiatives to reduce the effects of drought on the global community.
Drought is a key driver of land and soil degradation, and soil health is characterised by water-holding capacity, moisture content, and porosity. Furthermore, healthy soils retain water and release it slowly, acting as a reservoir that can help bridge water supplies during dry periods.
All in all, CA4SH was honoured to be a part of the side-event at COP27. As a platform for collective action on soil health, we are excited to see the outcomes of the International Alliance for Drought Resilience and scaling soil health and global drought resilience in tandem.
