International Drought Resilience Alliance
No country is immune to drought and its impacts on food, water, and energy security, forced migration and natural resource conflicts. Europe, the western United States, Chile, Australia, and the Horn of Africa have all suffered extreme droughts in recent years. These unprecedented droughts have far-reaching impacts on agriculture, energy, transportation, tourism, and human health.
From 1998 to 2017, drought generated economic losses of about US$124 billion across the world, not to mention the cost in human suffering and lives.
Drought frequency, severity, and duration are projected to increase in the short term due to climate change, which is expected to cause to a large displacement of people from affected areas in the long run.
The overwhelming evidence points to the need to shift from crises management to drought preparedness and adaptation measures that significantly reduce vulnerability and exposure at all levels. World leaders recognize the need for a global collaborative platform, with political engagement at the highest level and a network of implementing partners to support countries and communities considering their different circumstances.
Responding to these needs, the International Drought Resilience Alliance was first announced by Spain at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2022 to be officially launched at the UNFCCC COP27 in November 2022. The alliance is jointly convened by President of Senegal Macky Sall and President of the Government of Spain Pedro Sánchez. Interested members of the Alliance see the urgent need to pivot from emergency response to increasing drought resilience through a more coordinated and effective response.
When: 18 - 19 March 2026
The UNCCD Secretariat is organizing a series of regional online consultations with Local Communities to gather input on the Draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the establishment of a Local Communities Caucus under the UNCCD, in accordance with Decision 5/COP.16.-Local communities play a critical role in combating desertification, land degradation and drought, contributing valuable knowledge and practices that support sustainable land management and the achievement of Land Degradation Neutrality. Strengthening their meaningful and inclusive participation in UNCCD processes is essential to advancing the objectives of the Convention.At COP16, Parties requested the UNCCD Secretariat to support the development of ToR for the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities, ensuring that these mechanisms reflect the representativeness, priorities and perspectives of these groups.The consultations aim to strengthen the participation of local communities in the UNCCD and to ensure that the ToR reflect the perspectives and priorities of local communities and that representatives are identified through their own procedures and governance structures.The consultations aim to:• Discuss what meaningful engagement of Local Communities within the UNCCD should look like• Gather feedback on key elements of the Draft Terms of Reference for the Local Communities CaucusConsultation schedule18 March 2026 | 10:00–11:30 CETInterpretation: English/French/Arabic'RussianRegistration18 March 2026 | 15:00–16:30 CETInterpretation: English/Spanish/PortugueseRegistration19 March 2026 | 08:00–09:30 CETInterpretation: English/Russian/ArabicRegistrationRepresentatives of local communities and relevant stakeholders are invited to participate.
