Africa Drought Conference

15 - 19 August 2016. Windhoek, Namibia. Some 400 delegates from across Africa and beyond came together in Windhoek, Namibia for the first African Drought Conference. International and African leaders and experts are set to find solutions to the recurring drought events and their associated impacts.

In the framework of Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) activities, the High-level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP) provides practical insight into useful, science-based actions to address the key drought issues being considered by governments and the private sector under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the various strategies to cope with drought.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Namibia organized the African Drought Conference in follow up to its role as UNCCD COP11 President and to the outcomes of the high-level meeting on national drought policies (HMNDP) held in Geneva in 2013. The conference focused on identifying the specific needs of African countries in the area of effective drought mitigation, with a view to developing a strategic framework for enhancing resilience to drought events on the African continent.

The overall objective of the Conference was to come up with an overarching strategic framework for Africa that will enhance resilience to the impact of drought events. The work of the Conference was guided by an agenda for action white paper document, which was circulated in advance of the conference. The specific objectives of the conference were to:

1. Focus regional and international attention on the issue of enhancing resilience to drought events. 
2. Identify needs and shortcomings as well as good practices in the area of enhancing resilience to drought events. 
3. Encourage African Countries to develop their short, medium and long term drought mitigation and adaptation measures/interventions and plans. 
4. Move towards a strategic framework for drought management and enhancing resilience to drought events at the African level. 
5. Strengthen partnerships and cooperation for enhanced drought resilience