Drought risk management in agriculture: institutional changes, adaptation in farming practices and education

It is more difficult to detect the emergence of droughts compared with other natural hazards because of the unique characteristics of drought: its slow onset, the absence of a universally accepted definition for drought, and its non-structural impacts. In addition, it is more difficult to assess drought impacts in various sectors because the impacts can be regional or local. Furthermore, droughts may linger for a long time (a year or more), or just last for a very short time (several weeks). These characteristics hamper the adoption of appropriate drought risk management approaches. The international community has recognized the importance of shifting from crisis management toward a more risk-oriented approach. This requires a
deep understanding of the full range of drought impacts and their main causes. Acting on the latter, drought risk management strategies should aim to reduce socio-ecological vulnerability.