Drought, a complex natural phenomenon, is now recognised as one of the most significant environmental challenges of the 21st century. The impacts of droughts around the world know no sectoral boundaries. They spread across borders, affecting the livelihoods and well-being of billions of people, as well as all types of ecosystems. Against a global backdrop of increasing risks, extreme events and their impacts, drought management has never been more urgently needed. Measures to mitigate the effects of climate change remain essential to prevent drought conditions from worsening. At the same time, efforts to adapt and build resilience must be significantly scaled up in order to curb the growing impact of droughts. This policy brief, based on the work and findings of the Désertif’actions 2026 initiative, aims to provide an overview of the issue and identify possible courses of action. Recognising the now widely accepted view that this phenomenon has a major global impact, it focuses on ways to prevent the impacts of droughts and on the need to improve resilience at the local level, the first to be affected by it. Drawing on contributions from nearly 1,500 participants from over 50 countries, this brief shares lessons learnt from a diverse range of stakeholders based on field experience (NGOs, local authorities, international organisations, government institutions, etc.), and puts forward five key recommendations for governments, so that they can help create the right conditions for an agroecological transition at the local level around the world.
