India on Tuesday called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to drought management, urging countries to move from reactive relief measures to proactive, technology-enabled resilience.
Addressing the ministerial dialogue on “Accelerating Drought Resilience” at the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said drought should be treated as a predictable and preventable risk rather than a recurring disaster.
“Preparedness over response, prevention over crisis management, resilience over recovery should be the goal,” Yadav said, stressing that drought has evolved from an occasional event into a major development challenge affecting water security, food systems, biodiversity and economic stability.
Yadav outlined India’s multi-institutional approach, which combines early warning systems, mitigation, relief measures and community-led resilience. He said rainfall monitoring and satellite-based drought assessments help trigger preparedness measures at the Centre and state levels before dry spells develop into full-scale crises.
Highlighting the close relationship between land and water management, the minister stressed the importance of restoring forests and catchments to improve water retention, reduce erosion and recharge groundwater. He also highlighted river rejuvenation and the revival of traditional water bodies as important components of India’s strategy for strengthening water security.
India’s drought resilience efforts also include community-led restoration of springs and groundwater recharge zones in hilly areas, while watershed programmes in the plains focus on restoring degraded rainfed land through a ridge-to-valley approach.
Yadav said these efforts are supported by community institutions and convergence with rural employment programmes. At the household level, drinking water programmes aim to ensure reliable supplies during periods of water stress, with local quality testing and priority given to vulnerable areas.
The minister also highlighted crop insurance as an important tool for protecting farmers against drought and other non-preventable losses. Technology-enabled assessment and subsidised premiums are being used to facilitate faster and more transparent settlement of claims, he said.
Yadav said India’s approach combines long-term preventive measures such as watershed development, water harvesting, afforestation, groundwater recharge and climate-resilient crops with contingency measures including disaster-related funding, employment guarantees, fodder support and emergency water supplies.
Calling for stronger international cooperation, he urged greater investment in ecosystem restoration, improved early warning systems and coordinated drought preparedness.
Yadav said community ownership, capacity building and livelihood diversification were essential to building lasting resilience and reducing dependence on emergency relief.
He also reiterated India’s willingness to share its experience and capabilities, including in early warning systems, with other countries to support global efforts towards a drought-resilient future.
The minister said drought resilience was not merely a policy choice for vulnerable communities but a matter of survival, underscoring the need for countries to prioritise prevention and preparedness over crisis management.
