International training course addresses the relevance of drought risk assessment and management in Europe

13 November 2018
Story

Budapest, Hungary – The Hungarian Meteorological Service and the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Center (DRMKC) of the European Commission organized an international training course on drought risk assessment on 6 – 8 November 2018 to discuss the increasing frequency, severity and intensity of droughts in many regions of Europe as a consequence of climate change. The course brought together 50 participants from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta,cNetherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden.

While national efforts in drought management are mostly concentrated on risk assessment, there is also a considerable variability between countries in approaches and applied methods for risk evaluation. The DRMKC training offered the participants an opportunity to exchange experiences on best practices and get information on recent developments.

The main goal of the training was to help member states enhance their preparedness for drought by improving knowledge on drought risks in the region where competition between different water users, such as agriculture, industry, tourism and households, is likely to increase due to existing and expected drought trends.

Hungarian national focal point Mr. Peter Molnar, delivered a presentation on the relevance of drought management in Europe and its place on the UNCCD agenda, including the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework, The Drought Initiative and the National Drought Plans. To illustrate the UNCCD institutional results in drought preparedness, he also presented the Drought Management Centre for South-Eastern Europe (DMCSEE), established by the UNCCD and WMO.