National News

Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Accelerating Drought Resilience’

August 28 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 17 0

India has called for a shift in global drought policy from reactive response to proactive, technology-enabled resilience at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
It urged countries to strengthen early warning systems, watershed restoration and climate-resilient agriculture.
It called for measures including watershed restoration, climate-resilient cropping and stronger early warning systems in drought-prone areas.
It also said drought resilience should be supported by disaster funds earmarked for droughts, employment guarantees and emergency water supplies.
Approximately 68 percent of India’s total sown area is drought-prone
It is guided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The drought warning system is also supported by space-based drought forecasting from the India Meteorological Department and the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre.