Want to talk about drought?

12 Dec 2022

Want to talk about drought?

Drought is one of the most prominent examples of concern within the humanitarian sector - a phenomenon that builds up over time on different levels, and affects people and livelihoods differently at different points of time. The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement has built significant expertise in anticipatory action for fast-onset hazards, and is increasingly tackling drought through scoping studies and the development of early action protocols (EAPs). Some countries have already submitted their EAPs for this hazard, while others are almost ready to do so, or at the scoping stage.

Developing Early Action Protocols (EAPs) for drought has come with specific challenges as it differs from the types of hazards generally addressed through anticipatory action, in particular around compound and complex impact profiles and a range of spatial and temporal characteristics which make existing tools difficult to apply directly.

The eight-part series on anticipatory action for drought

Recognizing the increasing examples of planning anticipatory action ahead of drought within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, the lessons learned and the questions that are often asked, a webinar series was developed to showcase approaches, challenges and lessons learnt from projects on drought. The webinar series was hosted by the Anticipation Hub, the German Red Cross and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, specifically tailored for National Societies and partners that wanted to develop an EAP for drought or were doing so, and were looking for opportunities to exchange ideas and learn what has been done. In addition to technical sessions focusing on different aspects of the EAP development process, the webinar series tackled some overarching drought-related topics, such as the role of the Movement in drought anticipatory action and climate change.

Shaped by the Climate Centre’s ‘Virtually Amazing’ techniques, the series fostered open discussions and community-building within the Anticipation Hub and promoted a culture of sharing lessons candidly and building knowledge constructively.

What we talked about

The role of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in drought situations
Understanding drought
Drought forecasting and monitoring
Early actions for drought
Climate change implications for anticipatory action ahead of drought

How did it work?

The webinar series was run virtually, bi-monthly, for eight sessions over February to May 2023, culminating in Global Drought Day on 17 June. Participants shared their stories and contributed to the community knowledge base through collaborative note taking and a resource bank.

You can find recordings of all sessions below.