Drought needs action before crisis, Namibia tells UN

Namibia has called for a fundamental shift in how drought is managed, urging countries to move beyond emergency responses and treat drought preparedness as a development, economic and resilience priority.

Speaking at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 high-level segment on Drought and Water Day in Mongolia recently, environment minister Indileni Daniel said drought is a recurring national reality, not a distant threat.

As one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia faces rising temperatures, highly variable rainfall and prolonged droughts, with consequences reaching across agriculture, water security, human health, rural livelihoods and economic growth.

Daniel said severe droughts expose over one million Namibians to food insecurity, underscoring the need for greater investment in preparedness before crises occur.

“Our experience has taught us an important lesson: we cannot continue responding to drought only after disaster has struck. We must invest before the crisis,” she said.

Namibia is strengthening its drought preparedness through early-warning systems, contingency planning, sustainable land management, water-security measures and ecosystem restoration, the minister said.

Land restoration and the protection of rural livelihoods are also central to Namibia’s approach, she said.

The country is advancing land restoration through the Great Green Wall Initiative while strengthening resilience across its extensive rangelands. With approximately 85% of Namibia’s land classified as rangelands, pastoral communities remain particularly vulnerable to drought and climate shocks.

Daniel said initiatives aimed at strengthening these communities should include financial protection mechanisms, helping households and livestock-dependent livelihoods better withstand periods of severe drought.

However, she stressed that national action alone would not be sufficient.

“Drought does not respect institutional boundaries, and working in silos will not build the resilience we need,” Daniel said, calling for coordinated action between governments, development partners, communities and the private sector.

“Drought must no longer be managed merely as an emergency. It must be managed as a development, economic and resilience priority,” she said.