India calls for a shift from Drought Response to Drought Resilience at UNCCD CoP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, today called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to drought – from reactive relief to proactive, technology-enabled resilience. Addressing the Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Accelerating Drought Resilience’, at the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), the Minister said drought is “no longer an occasional event, but a defining development challenge”, affecting water security, food systems, biodiversity and economic stability

Shri Yadav highlighted India’s coordinated, multi-institutional approach integrating early warning, mitigation, relief and community resilience. Rainfall monitoring and satellite-based drought assessments trigger preparedness at the inter-ministerial and State levels, ensuring that a dry spell does not escalate into a crisis. Emphasising the critical link between land and water, he stated, “restore the forest, before the flow”, underscoring India’s focus on catchment and riverscape forestry to reduce erosion, improve water retention and recharge groundwater. River rejuvenation and revival of traditional water bodies further strengthen water security and rural drought resilience. (UPDATED ON 25TH AUGUST 26)