Participating in the launch of the initiative “Regional Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Strategy for South Asia”, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia and the Head of Sri Lanka delegation to COP16 of UNCCD, Ameer Ajwad delivered the opening remarks. The event was held on the sidelines of the UNCCD COP 16 held in Riyadh on 10 December 2024. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in collaboration with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) organized the launch.
In his remarks, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad pointed out that the adoption of innovative strategies for drought risk management for South Asia, one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world, was a pivotal moment for the COP 16 of the UNCCD. The strategy document not only advances a unified vision for resilience through evidence-based planning, community engagement and regional cooperation, but also calls for action guiding efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and secure a sustained future, the Ambassador added.
The Regional Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Strategy for South Asia was developed by ADPC and UNCCD, in consultations with South Asian countries. Program Officer of UNCCD, Dr. Daniel Tsegai; Program Lead, Climate Services of ADPC, Dr. Senaka Basnayake; senior government officials from Bhutan, India, Nepal Pakistan and Sri Lanka and representatives from UNCCD, GWP/WMO, FAO, IUCN, etc. also attended the launching event.
A panel discussion titled: “Empowering Resilience: Innovative Strategies for Drought Risk Management and Mitigation” which was organized jointly by ADPC and UNCCD alongside the COP 16 of the UNCCD, discussed the importance of integration of governance frameworks, policy development, and practical tools to address multifaceted challenges caused by droughts. The countries in South Asia shared their experience on drought risk management while highlighting the gaps and needs as well as challenges and opportunities to address them in a coherent manner. A few case studies on drought risk management from South Asian countries were also presented to showcase successful governance strategies and best practices in mitigating drought risks.
Director (Natural Resources) of the Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka, Nilmini Wickramarachchi participated as one of the panelists. Program Lead, Climate Services of ADPC, Dr. Senaka Basnayake moderated the panel discussion while Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Dulanji Herath and Assistant Director (Natural Resource Management) at the Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka, Himali De Costa facilitated the inaugural and launching sessions of the Regional Drought Strategy for South Asia.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Riyadh
17 December 2024
