From national to regional plans – the Integrated Drought Management Programme of the Global Water Partnership for Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

In the past few decades it has become evident that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are affected by droughts which are becoming more and more lasting and severe. The region׳s vulnerability to this natural hazard alerted the public, governments, and operational agencies to the many socio-economic problems accompanying water shortage and to the need for drought mitigation measures. In addition, climate change amplifies the frequency and severity of droughts in the region. In this context, the CEE region of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) recently launched the regional Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) as part of the global joint World Meteorological Organization (WMO)/GWP IDMP. The purpose of this paper is to present the work plan of the GWP CEE IDM Programme which is being implemented in the years 2013–2015. The planning process for this Programme carried out in 2012 included national and regional reviews of existing drought risks, policies and strategies. The programme inception phase was summarized in October 2012 by a regional workshop organized jointly by GWP and WMO, with the participation of representatives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Secretariat, the Drought Management Centre for Southeastern Europe (DMCSEE), the EU Joint Research Centre, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the European Drought Centre. The Programme was launched in February 2013 and involves more than 40 organizations from 9 CEE countries. The basic four elements of the Programme include policy advice, demonstration projects, capacity building knowledge management and regional cooperation (from national to regional plans). The major output, building upon national initiatives, shall be a coordinated regional framework for drought monitoring, early warning, prediction and management, accompanied by a set of guidelines and tools for the development of regional, national and local drought policies and plans. The proposed integrated approach will place emphasis on working with a range of stakeholders from various sectors, such as government officials, municipal and local officers, farmers, water supply operators, and others. Work will fully observe the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles which are the cornerstone of all GWP activities.