4.15pm: “Access to water is a key climate change concern for countries… The risk is not going away. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’re always got – in terms of risk and vulnerability.”
4.20pm: “We need to get a handle on changing vulnerabilities. Drought impacts are increasing as populations move and change demographically. We need to be able to react and respond effectively.”
4.30pm: “Incorporation of indigenous knowledge is critically important. People have lived in arid and harsh conditions for thousands of years and have survived many droughts.”
4.35pm: “Drought is a normal part of climate… communities can and will adapt. Droughts are windows of opportunity to become more resilient.”
4.40pm: “National drought policy is an umbrella approach…. preparedness plans need to be based on the principles of disaster risk reduction.”
4.40pm: “Early warning systems should be reliable, coordinated and reactive delivery systems – as a key part of national drought policy.”
4.45pm: “National drought policies take considerable time and money – but we need to understand the cost of inaction. It is vital to change the drought management paradigm… the cost of inaction would be considerably higher.”
