Drought a defining developmental challenge, says Environment Minister at UNCCD conference
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the UNCCD COP17 conference, calling for a shift from reactive drought relief to proactive, technology-driven resilience. He emphasized India's integrated approach to land and water management as a model for global drought mitigation.
Why it matters
As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather, international cooperation on drought resilience is critical for global food and water security.
There ought to be a fundamental shift in the global approach to droughts from reactive relief to proactive, technology-enabled resilience, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference in Mongolia on Tuesday (August 25, 2026).
Addressing international delegates at the Ministerial Dialogue on “Accelerating Drought Resilience”, held in Ulaanbaatar during the 17 th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UNCCD, Mr. Yadav warned that dry spells are rapidly escalating. Drought is “no longer an occasional event, but a defining development challenge”, he said, citing its compounding disruptions to global water security, agricultural food systems, biodiversity, and economic stability.
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