Common ground for global cooperation on drought resilience builds at Beijing seminar

Recent drought events have been unprecedented in frequency and severity, with far-reaching economic, social and environmental impacts for all sectors of society. The consequences and duration of such droughts are further aggravated by increasing climate change, affecting areas not previously impacted.

As a global response to drought, on 7 November 2022, at COP27, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain and President Macky Sall of Senegal, along with leaders from over 30 countries and 20 organizations, with the support of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, launched the IDRA.

His Excellency Mr. Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo, Ambassador of Spain to China, said, “I would like to highlight that one of the two co-founders of IDRA is an African country, Senegal, together with an European one, Spain. IDRA wants to go beyond conventional divisions and mobilize global support for a global problem”.

The seminar sought to bring focus to the IDRA as a collaborative platform which aims to catalyse momentum and action that supports countries, cities, and communities to go beyond disaster responses and reduce vulnerability to droughts by mainstreaming preparedness and adaptation measures.

His Excellency Mr. Ibragima Sory Sylla, Ambassador of Senegal to China, said, “I would like to reaffirm my Government's commitment to work hand in hand with all stakeholders, including Spain, UN, African countries and Chinese authorities to promote IDRA in the hope that it will expand for the common good of humanity.”

The seminar aimed to promote the IDRA in China, find shared priorities for cooperation to build drought resilience globally, and encourage collaboration with the Government of China and other relevant stakeholders, including universities, research institutes and the private sector.

Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, said, “Let this event be a first step along the path of IDRA becoming an important global initiative that supports locally driven, scalable solutions to build drought resilience and put us on a path to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

During the seminar, representatives from the Government of China, including the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and other sectors of society raised the country’s drought policies and actions, with the Kubuqi Ecological Restoration Project being one example. 

Mr. Hao Zhao, Director-General, Department of International Economic and Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center, Ministry of Water Resources, People’s Republic of China​​​​​, said, “Our ministry stands ready to work with foreign countries, UN agencies, and water-related international organizations to discuss good measures and share experience on drought relief, as well as seek cooperation and development, and jointly promote the implementation of the water-related goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,”

As no country, rich or poor, is immune to drought, and its devastating impacts trigger crises that frequently extend across borders and continents, keynote speakers at the seminar emphasized the need for international cooperation and multilateral responses to build drought resilience for all.

During a panel discussion at the seminar, attendees were also able to exchange their respective experiences on issues relating to drought resilience while offering their assessments on how to best take the IDRA forward.

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For further information, please contact:

Ms. Louise Xi LI, Head of Communications, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in China, Tel: +8610-85320725, Email: xi.li@un.org