Conclusions and Recommendations from the Central and Eastern European Workshop on Drought Mitigation

Authors

Date of this Version

July 2000

Comments

Published in Drought Network News Vol. 12, No. 2, Summer 2000. Published by the International Drought Information Center and the National Drought Mitigation Center, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Abstract

The importance of prevention and planning in drought mitigation was the impetus for the Central and Eastern European Workshop on Drought Mitigation, held April 12–15, 2000, in Budapest-Felsoőgöd, Hungary. The workshop was organized and sponsored by several Hungarian agencies: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry for Environment; Ministry of Transport, Communication and Water Management; Research and Development Division of the Ministry of Education; and Hungarian Meteorological Service. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), European Commission Joint Research Centre (EC JRC–ISPRA), European Regional Working Group of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ERWG ICID), and the International Drought Information Center and National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA, also provided support.

Seven country reports on the status of national drought mitigation strategies in central and eastern European (CEE) countries and twenty-one scientific and technical papers were presented and discussed. U.S. scientists discussed drought mitigation practices used in the United States that might also be followed in Europe. Although some steps have been taken in several CEE countries toward the establishment of national drought mitigation strategies, participants noted that further efforts are necessary. Their recommendations are republished below.