The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decisions 23/COP.11, 19/COP.12, 18/COP.13 and 18/COP.14, Also recalling the 2018–2030 Strategic Framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, its vision for a future that minimizes and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels, and strive to achieve a land degradation neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
Further recalling decision 21/COP.12, paragraph 6 (b), which encourages the Science-Policy Interface to promote the application of resilience-based assessment frameworks as a common approach to planning, monitoring and reporting on land-based adaptation and agroecosystem resilience;
Recalling decision 17/COP.14, paragraph 1 (c), which invites Parties to consider the positive role drought-smart land management practices, ecosystem-based adaptation and restoration measures, and drought recovery activities could have in building the resilience of communities and ecosystems to drought, when pursued in the context of land degradation neutrality,
Acknowledging the work conducted by the Science-Policy Interface in implementing its work programme for the biennium 2020–2021,
Recalling Article 24 of the Convention stating that the Committee on Science and Technology is to provide information and advice on scientific and technological matters relating to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought,
Having considered document ICCD/COP(15)/CST/3 and the conclusions and recommendations contained therein,
1. Encourages Parties to consider the roadmap for drought resilience assessment summarized in document ICCD/COP(15)/CST/3 as an indicative pathway for developing a new approach or reviewing an existing one to national and subnational drought resilience assessment and monitoring, taking into account national circumstances as well as the existing drought resilience indicators and assessment guidance;
2. Also encourages Parties to enable or enhance systematic drought impact collection and risk assessments at national, subnational and local levels using, where appropriate, a globally standardized approach, taking into account, inter alia, the need to:
(a) Identify, define and validate drought impact metrics and establish scientific evidence-based good practice guidance to facilitate the establishment of minimum requirements for core indicators and data collection at different spatial scales and for different environmental systems and economic sectors;
(b) Conduct assessment of implementation effectiveness and efficiency, for instance via cost-benefit analysis;
(c) Describe and, to the extent possible, quantify drought impacts using a systematic approach to collecting information that has been deemed important and valuable at the national and/or subnational level;
(d) Assess direct and indirect impacts on (i) hydrological systems affecting ecological systems, agriculture, and water resource availability and the different socioeconomic sectors that depend on it, particularly energy, food, tourism and health, which are water-sensitive; and (ii) human life and properties;
(e) Give priority to the mitigation of complex and cascading effects of drought that occur where preventive or remedial sustainable land management and water resources management actions could be taken;
(f) Analyse the extent to which sustainable land management can prevent the correlation between the occurrence of droughts and effects on vegetation conditions, water availability and patterns of production, nutrition, health and well-being;
(g) Take into account the gender dimension, and vulnerable populations and development;
3. Further encourages Parties to pursue the development and implementation of integrated drought risk management from existing communities of practice and learning networks, including the Integrated Drought Management Programme and its cooperating partners, and to monitor and assess drought risk in natural and managed ecosystems, with a particular focus on:
(a) Those areas of an ecosystem under pressure or ecosystems vulnerable to the effects of drought and climate change; (b) The potential and projected effects of drought on the ecosystem functions and services which enable ecosystems and populations to build resilience against drought;
(c) The influence of ecosystem conservation measures, sustainable land management, drought-resilient water and crop management practices, and ecological rehabilitation/restoration on drought risk;
4. Invites the Integrated Drought Management Programme and its cooperating partners, acting within their respective mandates, subject to the availability of resources, to support Parties, where necessary, in:
(a) Enhancing their capacity to collect, analyse and interpret data on resilience indicators;
(b) Systematically integrating the findings from drought resilience assessments into drought early warning systems and into drought resilience planning;
(c) Working in collaboration with relevant partners responsible for established resilience frameworks towards the harmonization of drought resilience terminology and definitions;
(d) Facilitating coordination and interaction between the land restoration and drought risk management communities, notably by creating a common understanding of definitions and the cross-sectoral nature of drought risk management, sustainable land and water management, and land restoration;
5. Encourages Parties to seek support in the development and implementation of integrated drought risk management from existing communities of practice and learning networks.
