Australia has joined the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), enabling Australian farmers to share their experiences and learn from other nations to enhance global drought resilience and preparedness.
“IDRA is a network of countries looking to collaborate together to put drought at the top of the agenda. It was co-convened by Spain and Senegal and launched at the 2022 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27),” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said.
According to Minister Watt, the platform encourages countries to collaborate on strategies for transitioning from crisis management to drought preparedness and adaptation.
IDRA also encourages governments to commit resources to drought resilience.
“Joining the alliance is timely – we are looking at warm and dry conditions across Australia over the coming months with El Niño conditions and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) confirmed for the first time in eight years,” Minister Watt stated.
He noted that climate change is expected to result in longer, severe droughts, necessitating solutions to mitigate economic loss and genuine hardship.
“We can use this opportunity to learn from other countries and to share our knowledge in return. Drought is an enduring feature of the Australian landscape and our farmers are good at navigating the conditions,” he added.
According to the Australian Government, it is assisting communities in preparing for drought through regional drought plans, the National Drought Agreement, and future investments under the Future Drought Fund.
Last month, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry convened a National Drought Forum in Rockhampton, in collaboration with the National Farmers’ Federation, to bring together drought experts.
