This working paper draws from the joint World Bank and World Meteorological Organization / Global Water Partnership Integrated Drought Management Program (IDMP) work stream on benefits of action and costs of inaction (BACI) for drought preparedness and mitigation. It suggests a methodological framework for assessment of BACI as a tool to support a shift in drought policy and programs from crisis management to a risk management approach. The framework should be systematic enough to allow for comparability across countries and contexts, with the option of being tailored to the context in which it is being used. In proposing an initial framework for BACI analysis, the authors use the ten-step methodology for developing drought strategies that was created by Wilhite et al. and subsequently codified by IDMP to help organize the assessment. In this way, the authors embed the BACI assessment in the overall development of a drought risk management strategy. This document is a first approach to guide those responsible for drought management and BACI assessments to ask the right questions at the different stages. Key next steps are to experiment with this draft approach by applying it in multiple contexts to test its usability and to develop more case study examples to showcase how this process can be undertaken and how it can be advantageous to stimulate positive action.

Drought is a complex natural hazard, and the uncertainties surrounding its onset and impacts make investment decisions inherently difficult. On the other hand, drought is considered one of the costliest and most destructive natural hazards. With the threat of higher frequency and greater intensity of future drought events due to climate change, the debate in drought management has evolved from whether to implement reactive or proactive drought management approaches – in other words, whether to invest or not in proactive drought actions – to how to invest in proactive drought action. Different and evolving drought events can be mitigated with varying proactive measures, but the best trade-off between efficacy and profitability – be it a financial or an economic profit – must be targeted. The report investigates the broad concept of the economics of drought management, provides a conceptual, two-tier framework for the assessment of proactive and reactive actions, and disseminates case studies for the implementation of the framework in decision-making processes. This report aims to assist decision-makers, policymakers, planners, and national authorities responsible for planning and programming to conduct an exhaustive economic assessment related to drought. With the knowledge gained from the report, a critical step in the drought investment decision-making process can be effectively undertaken.

The increasingly frequent and severe droughts prompted the global community to adopt more proactive and integrated approaches to reduce or neutralize the impacts. The paradigm shift called for an improved planning mechanism that puts emphasis on strengthening preparedness. In support of this process, the Drought Initiative, called by the Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), rolled out its programme on drought planning at national level. Showing the strong interest, 70 countries have already joined the programme to prepare their national drought plan. The development of a multi-criteria assessment for the review of the plans is a necessary step to enable the implementation. This publication contributes to this overall goal from multiple objectives, including the presentation of a replicable framework to conduct regular reviews, the analysis of the submitted plans to identify the potential for further enhancements, the provision of recommendations on the options of enhancements, and the demonstration of case studies with successful planning methods to facilitate the global knowledge-sharing.

The second volume of this comprehensive global perspective on Integrated Drought Management is focused on drought modeling, meteorological prediction, and the use of remote sensing in assessing, analyzing, and monitoring drought. It discusses risk management, planning, policy, and societal impacts of drought such as water pricing, water transfer, water quality, and crop insurance. Through numerous case studies from India, Iran, Brazil, the US, Nepal, and other countries that cover a broad range of topics and geographical regions, this volume serves as a valuable resource for all professionals, researchers, and academics who want to advance their knowledge about droughts. Features Provides a global perspective on drought prediction and management and a synthesis of the recent state of knowledge. Covers a wide range of topics from essential concepts and advanced techniques for forecasting and modeling drought to societal impacts, consequences, and planning Presents numerous case studies with different management approaches from different regions and countries. Addresses how climate change impacts drought, the increasing challenges associated with managing drought, decision-making, and policy implications. Includes contributions from hundreds of experts from around the world. Professionals, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students with knowledge in environmental sciences, ecology, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, water resources engineering, and earth sciences, as well as those interested in how climate change impacts drought management, will gain new insights from the experts featured in this two-volume handbook.

The present report was informed by the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and its holistic approach with the other Rio Conventions, as well as the international sustainable development and disaster risk reduction communities. The publication builds on a recent review of drought risk mitigation, preparedness and response measures commissioned by FAO with partners in the Integrated Drought Management Programme, alongside a range of other recent global reviews, and the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group of the UNCCD on drought. The report presents an overview of current knowledge and thinking concerning the effectiveness of three distinct layers of financing that set out to address drought risks in different ways. For each of these, results are conceptualized and measured in different ways for disaster risk reduction, adaptation to climate change, and transformative green finance. There is not yet any coherent global system to generate an overview of progress and gaps at the global level, nor to orient public policies and learning processes within the affected countries. This initial review explores how these gaps could be filled. It also takes a first step toward doing so by bringing together insights from the current available systems for targeting and tracking financing to address drought risks through the three layers of actions, target indicators and evidence systems.

INDEX CHAPTER 1 : ENVIRONMENT, HABITAT AND ECOSYSTEM………………………………………………………..1-2 CHAPTER 2 : ECOLOGY- PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONS……………………………………………………..3-4 CHAPTER 3 : FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM…………………………………………………………………………..5-6 CHAPTER 4 : ENERGY FLOW THROUGH AN ECOSYSTEM- TROPHIC LEVELS……………………………….7-9 CHAPTER 5: BIOGEO- CHEMICAL CYCLING OR NUTRIENT CYCLING…………………….………………….10-12 CHAPTER 6 : NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS…………………………………………………………………………………....13-17 CHAPTER 7 : WETLAND ECOSYSTEM………………………………………………………………………………………18-22 CHAPTER 8 : EVOLUTION OF THE BIOSPHERE…………………………………………………………………………23-26 CHAPTER 9: BIODIVERSITY & ITS LOSS……………………………………………………………………………………27-30 CHAPTER 10 : BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION………………………………………………………………………..31-34 CHAPTER 11 : WILDLIFE CONSERVATION- PART I……………………………………………………………………35-38 CHAPTER 12 : WILDLIFE CONSERVATION – PART II…………………………………………………………………39-42 CHAPTER 13 : GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION………43-46 CHAPTER 14 : AIR POLLUTION……………………………………………………………………………………………….47-49 CHAPTER 15 :EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION……………………………………………………………………………..50-53 CHAPTER 16 : PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION……………………………………………..54-58 CHAPTER 17 : WATER POLLUTION AND MARINE POLLUTION…………………………………………………59-61 CHAPTER 18 : WATER POLLUTION EFFECTS AND CONTROL MEASURES………………………………….62-65 CHAPTER 19 : RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION……………………………………………………………………………….66-67 CHAPTER 20 : SOLID WASTES………………………………………………………………………………………………..68-70 CHAPTER 21 : HAZARDOUS WASTE……………………………………………………………………………………….71-73 CHAPTER 22 : E-WASTE OR ELECTRONIC WASTE……………………………………………………………………74-75 CHAPTER 23 : LAND DEGRADATION………………………………………………………………………………………76-81 CHAPTER 24 : GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE…………………………………………………….82-86 CHAPTER 25 : IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING……………………………………………………………………….87-92 CHAPTER 26 : CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION……………………………………………………………………….93-95 CHAPTER 27 : INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONVENTIONS ,NGOS AND LAWS- PART 1.96-100 CHAPTER 28 : INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONVENTIONS ,NGOs AND LAWS – PART 2..101-104 CHAPTER 29 : NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION – PART 1…………………………………..105-109 CHAPTER 30 : NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION – PART 2………………………………..110-114 CHAPTER 31 : GREEN REVOLUTION, SUSTAINABLE AND MODERN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES….115-120 CHAPTER 32 : SOURCES OF ENERGY……………………………………………………………………………………121-126 CHAPTER 33 : WATER CONSERVATION……………………………………………………………………………….127-130 CHAPTER 34 : BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA………………………………………………………………………………..131-133 CHAPTER 35 : INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (ISFR) 2021………………………………………………..134-135 CHAPTER 36 : PROTECTED AREA NETWORK………………………………………………………………………..136-148

This decade has been marked by multiple, often overlapping, crises. The COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and the ongoing war in Ukraine have all threatened the fabric of our global food systems. But opportunities can be found amid crises, and the world’s food systems have demonstrated surprising resilience. With new evidence on what works, now is the time to rethink how we address food crises. Better prediction, preparation, and resilience building can make future crises less common and less devastating, and improved responses can contribute to greater food security, better nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods.