India Calls for Global Shift from Drought Response to Resilience at UNCCD CoP17
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav addressed the Ministerial Dialogue on 'Accelerating Drought Resilience' at the 17th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Minister called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to drought - from reactive relief to proactive, technology-enabled resilience, stating that drought is "no longer an occasional event, but a defining development challenge" affecting water security, food systems, biodiversity and economic stability.
Yadav highlighted India's coordinated, multi-institutional approach that integrates early warning, mitigation, relief and community resilience. The system involves rainfall monitoring and satellite-based drought assessments that trigger preparedness at both inter-ministerial and State levels to prevent dry spells from escalating into crises. Emphasizing 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.
India's approach includes community-led restoration of springs and recharge zones in hilly regions, while in the plains, a pan-India watershed programme addresses degraded rainfed lands through a ridge-to-valley approach. This is supported by community institutions and convergence with rural employment programmes. At the household level, drinking water programmes ensure reliable supplies during stress periods with assured service levels, local quality testing and prioritization of vulnerable areas.
The Minister specifically highlighted crop insurance programs that protect farmers against drought and other non-preventable losses across the crop cycle, combining subsidised premiums with technology-driven assessment for faster and transparent claim settlement. He stressed that community ownership, capacity building and livelihood diversification are central to the transition from reactive relief to proactive resilience.
Yadav articulated India's core belief that "drought must be managed as a predictable, preventable risk, and not a recurring disaster demanding emergency response". Prevention measures include watershed development, water harvesting, afforestation, groundwater recharge and climate-resilient crops, complemented by disaster-related funds, employment guarantees, fodder support and emergency water supplies when required.
The Minister called for stronger global action through greater investment in ecosystem restoration, stronger early warning systems and coordinated action, concluding that "Preparedness over response, prevention over crisis management, resilience over recovery should be the goal". He affirmed India's readiness to share its knowledge and capacities, including on early warning systems, for a drought-resilient future.