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NEWS · June 15, 2026

Tuesday – 12 March 2013

Preserved from the 2013 HMNDP conference website. Tuesday - 12 March 2013. Restored 2026 by HMNDP Landscaping; not affiliated with the UN.

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Archive Notice
This page preserves original content from the 2013 High-level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP) conference website, restored in 2026 by HMNDP Landscaping. We are not affiliated with the United Nations, FAO, WMO, UNCCD, or the original HMNDP conference organizers.
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Session IV:

Drought Prediction and Predictability:  Future Prospects
Chair: Lucky Ntsangwane, South Africa

 

This session will focus on the potential value of forecasts in the context of early warning and decision making and regional prospects for improvements in the next 10-20 years.

09:00 – 09:30

Drought Prediction and Predictability:  An Overview
Vikram Mehta, Center for Research on the Changing Earth System, USA

09:30 – 10:00

Discussants
P.A. Omondi, ICPAC, Kenya
Eduardo Martins, FUNCEME, Brazil
Andrew Singleton, JRC, Italy 

10:00 – 10:30

General Discussion

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee Break

Session V:

Drought Vulnerability and Impact Assessment

ChairCynthia Bantilan, ICRISAT

 

This session will discuss the different methods and approaches to vulnerability and impact assessment to determine who and what is at risk to improve drought risk management.  Examples of success stories will be given but also the current limitations will be discussed. 

11:00 – 11:30

Current Approaches to Vulnerability and Impact Assessment
John Harding, ISDR; Switzerland

11:30 – 12:00 

Discussants
Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, IHDP, Germany
Francis Opiyo, UNDP/Dryland Development Center, Kenya
Elena Abraham, Dryland Institute, Argentina
Gulchekhra Khasanhanova, Uzbek Irrigation and Melioration Design Institute, Uzbekistan 

12:00 – 12:30

General Discussion

12:30 – 14:00

Lunch Break

Session VI:

Enhancing Drought Preparedness and Mitigation
Chair: Mohamed Bazza, FAO

 

This session will discuss the different preparedness and response strategies that can help promote more effective drought risk management.  Examples of success stories will be given and the challenges to drought preparedness and mitigation will be discussed.  

14:00 – 14:30

Drought preparedness and drought mitigation
Mahmoud Solh, Director General, ICARDA, Tunisia 

14:30 – 15:00

Discussants
Ana Iglesias, Polytechnic University of Madrid
L.S. Rathore, India Meteorological Department
Felipe Arreguin Cortés, CONAGUA, Mexico
Arkadiy Tishkov, Geography Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences 

15:00 – 15:30

General Discussion

15:30 – 16:00

Coffee Break

Roundtable II

Vulnerability and Impact Assessment for Risk Reduction
Moderator: Antonio Divino Moura, INMET, Brazil

 

Experts will focus on vulnerability and impact assessment based on case studies in drought prone regions and how such assessments can provide support for a national drought policy focused on risk reduction.

16:00 – 16:10

Introduction by moderator

16:10 – 16:50

Discussants:

Mark Rosegrant, IFPRI, USA
Gina Ziergvoel. University of Cape Town, South Africa
Rodrigo Maia, University of Porto, Portugal
Peijun Shi , Beijing Normal University, China 

16:50 – 17:30

General Discussion

Parallel Sessions IV-VI

16:00 – 17:30

IV. Drought preparedness and mitigation strategies in different regions
Moderator: Gideon Galu, FEWSNET 

Case 1: Mike Hayes, National Drought Mitigation Center, USA

Case 2: Horn of Africa:  Drought Response Plans
Bekele Shiefrew, CIMMYT, Nairobi

V. Drought impacts in key sectors and coping strategies
Moderator: Dr Naveen Singh, ICRISAT 

Case 1: Mark Howden, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO, Australia:

Case 2: Francisco Mate, Coordinator of the National Board on  Drought, Spain

VI.  Strategy and recommendations for policy development
Moderator: Anwar Battikhi, University of Jordan

Case 1: David Korenfeld, CONAGUA, Mexico

Case 2: Nathan Engle/Erwin Denys, World Bank, USA