INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Humankind has gotten in a new period of drought, as the world grapples with an intensifying systemic drought danger, Daniel Tsegai,
program officer at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), stated in a recent interview
Drought was as soon as mainly related to rainfall and agricultural production, Tsegai said
But today, it has become a multi-sectoral, systemic shock
No sector, no part of the economy, and no country is immune to its impacts
Therefore, Tsegai said that dry spell today is no longer an isolated climate event restricted to rural farming regions
The cascading and spiraling impacts of droughts are extensive and multidimensional; even megacities are dealing with water scarcity and
severe drought risks.He kept in mind that the nature of droughts is altering: they are ending up being more frequent, more extreme, more
widespread and significantly unpredictable
One especially alarming pattern is the rise of flash droughts, which establish quickly over a brief time and intensify without adequate
early caution, seriously impacting agriculture, water supply and urban operations.Traditional techniques to dry spell are no longer enough,
When we discuss dry spell, we shouldnt simply look up to see if its raining
We require to look down and ask: can we still grow crops? Do we still have the capability to restore abject land? According to the Drought
Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025 report released Wednesday, the frequency of drought events globally increased by 30 percent between 2000
In spite of being labeled a quiet disaster, the effects of drought are never quiet
Drought is a threat multiplier, Tsegai stated
It affects food, water, biodiversity, health and energy –-- these are all pillars of society that dry spell is scrambling in front of our
He highlighted the unequal effects of drought throughout populations and areas, keeping in mind that around 85 percent of those impacted
reside in low and middle-income countries
Drought knows no boundaries, but drought understands gender, he said
In some areas, dry spell causes cravings, school dropouts, even forces women into early marital relationship
The discussion on drought has actually been shifting over the last few years
Its extremely crucial that we discuss dry spell as being an economic concern too, he stated
It is costing nations between one and ten percent of their GDP, depending upon the country
The losses are considerable
Drought is certainly expensive, however the real issue, Tsegai said, lies in the absence of readiness
Citing recent studies, he kept in mind that a one-dollar investment in drought durability causes seven dollars in healing
Nevertheless, lots of countries are still stuck in reactive responses, lacking proactive and forward-looking methods to deal with drought
effectively.Tsegai kept in mind that over 80 countries have actually developed nationwide drought strategies, however the key difficulty
lies in putting them into action
We need to improve watering innovation so that we can actually help decrease the waste of water
Buying watershed remediation and indigenous crop systems pays back lot of times over in prevented losses, he said, highlighting the
significance of nature-based services, land restoration, land rehabilitation, and rainwater harvesting
This is not a matter of choice, but a need, he added.Tsegai emphasized that attending to drought requires moving from short-term emergency
situation reactions to building long-term strength
He kept in mind that dry spell is not limited to a single sector like agriculture or water; instead, it functions as a connector,
impacting whatever from tourism and energy to education and public health
Therefore, he required cross-sectoral and multi-level collaboration involving ministries, local communities, and national
governments.Speaking about Chinas role in global drought governance, Tsegai said the country has actually collected substantial experience
in land remediation and drought-resilient technologies, and is sharing that experience with drought-prone regions like Africa and Central
Chinas support has played a central role in areas like Central Asia and has actually been extensively welcomed, he stated
In Africa, China is assisting to move the paradigm from a reactive method to a more proactive one, focusing on structure dry spell
Tsegai noted that the most significant issue with dry spell management approaches is the short-termism, highlighting that China not only
provides technical expertise and investment, however also supports capacity structure, which has a long-term result on the change that we
About 130 nations have actually committed to land-degradation-neutrality under the UNCCD, he said, including that Chinas experience,
technologies, and knowledge will play a constructive function in this worldwide effort to fight drought and bring back abject land.(Cover: A
sandbank on the low-water Danube has been destroyed and dried out in Bavaria, Germany, July 2, 2025./ VCG)
