Take
Action
Droughtland is...unique. Let us be the only ones that experience severe drought impacts. Protect your country from becoming like Droughtland to preserve your communities, cultural legacy, and economy. Everyone has a role to play.
#nodroughtlandDon't become
Droughtland
As you heard in the first part of the "Good Morning, World" special report on Droughtland, living in Droughtland is... interesting. Learn what to do so your country doesn't become like Droughtland from its citizens.
Explore what you can do
to prevent your country from becoming the next Droughtland
Engaged Citizen / Public
- Pledge to keep your country from becoming a Droughtland – a nation plagued by drought; tag, post, share and inspire hope. #nodroughtland
- Talk to your friends and community and plan and organize drought awareness events.
- Use the UNCCD drought monitor toolbox to organize fun school events to help children and youth to figure out if they are vulnerable to drought and how they can prepare.
- Become a citizen scientist and help your region and country to monitor drought.
- Contact the closest agricultural research institute and invite them for talks to share practical ideas on drought resilience to help local communities to learn the most appropriate actions for their soil and land types for instance.
Governments & donors
- Set up a national drought plan to be better prepared
- Create policies that motivate the private sector, communities and individual land users to switch to sustainable land management practices
- Make sure you have assessed and know the drought vulnerability of every community in your country to prepare for action. The tools to do this are all in the UNCCD Drought Toolbox.
- Reward initiatives that are building the capacity of vulnerable communities to become drought resilient but not project dependent.
Scientific Community
- Identify a land user influencer you will support to diffuse new and practical ideas on drought resilience.
- Inform the vulnerable communities about the most appropriate drought-resilient plants for their soil/land types.
Private Sector
- Support communities that are tackling drought head on. No amount of early warning will work without action to protect the most vulnerable.
- Use the tools available to assess the resilience of your supply chain.
- Help your supply chain to become drought resilient through incentives to adapt to better land use practices.
UN System Partners
- Share your drought-mitigation innovations through a global collaborative toolkit being used by 70 countries to build the resilience of vulnerable communities.
- Share the drought toolkit with all the local governments you work with in the world that serve communities vulnerable to drought.
Investors / Funders / Foundations
- Invest in solar-powered ground water pumps for drought-prone communities in your supply chain.
- Create facilities to help communities and small farm to invest in on-farm ponds to harvest rainwater.
Civil Society
- Share with your community the three most common signs of an approaching drought.
- Use a broom, instead of a hose, to clean your side walk.
Small holder communities
- Replace plants that use a lot of water with more drought-tolerant crops.
- Use a mix of food systems as security (agriculture, livestock, fish farming, etc).
- Invest in an on-farm point to harvest rainwater.
- Leave crop residue on the land to cover the soil and reduce water evaporation.
Media
- Write an article of a best practice in drought resilience from a community in another country which lives in a comparable environment.
- Use the drought risk assessment tool available here to inform the public about their drought vulnerability.
What can
New Yorkers
do about Droughtland?
Drought affects everyone, even in New York.
During UNGA 77, here are some things the people of New York
can do to ensure your city does not become like Droughtland.
- Save water in your everyday life.
- Choose local food with low water footprint.
- Ask your elected officials to act on drought.
- Help communities that are affected by drought like those in western US or the Horn of Africa.
- Share your stories about drought risks and resilience with the world.
- Help your city to plan for drought by becoming a citizen scientist for the US drought monitor
- Use our filter to inspire others to join the Droughtland campaign.
Thirsty for more info on drought and how to mitigate it?
Check out the resources below
What do people think about life in
Droughtland
“Drought is a slow-onset disaster, not necessarily an emergency. Swift action is needed as soon as it emerges.”
— Former citizen of Droughtland
“Invest in drought risk and vulnerability assesments. They are the key to starting to prepare for drought.”
— Former citizen of Droughtland