The
latest United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has called
for a fundamental shift in the way drought is perceived and managed in the Near
East and North Africa region, reports NaijaAgroNet.
The
agency said in a new report issued today that a more pro-active
approach based on the principles of risk reduction is needed to build greater
resilience to droughts.
Even
though drought is a familiar phenomenon in the region, over the past four
decades, droughts have become more widespread, prolonged and frequent - likely
due to climate change.
The
region is not only highly prone to drought, but also one of the world's most
water-scarce areas, with desert making up three quarters of its territory.
The
FAO's Assistant Director-General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water
Department, Rene Castro, was quoted as saying that the Near East and North
Africa's technical, administrative, and financial capacities to deal with
drought are inadequate, rendering farmers and herders - the first and worst hit
when drought strikes - even more vulnerable.
Farmers
and herders, UN reported, face mounting challenges as water becomes scarcer,
land more degraded and eroded, and soils more fragile.
It
lamented that there is still too much focus on recovering from drought rather
than being less susceptible to it, with insufficient funding, preparedness, and
coordination remaining significant constraints, warns the report.
"We
need to perceive and manage droughts differently, and shift from emergency
response to more pro-active policy and long-term planning to reduce risks and
build greater resilience," Castro said, pointing out that "The
report assesses gaps in current drought management and provides a solid base to
help governments rethink policies and reformulate preparedness and response
plans by offering solutions that take into account each country's specific
context."
Launched
ahead of World Day to Combat
Desertification and Drought,
the report was developed by FAO and theWater for Food Daugherty Global Institute at
the University of Nebraska.
It
covers 20 countries in the region - Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
