New IAI publication highlights the need to strengthen resilience to droughts
The IAI has published the report “Droughts in the Americas: Regional Priorities, Early Warning Systems, and Sustainable Development”, which summarizes the lessons learned and recommendations from an international meeting held during the 33rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) of the IAI in Asunción, Paraguay, in May 2025.
The meeting was organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), together with the Center for Global Change Research (CICAG, National University of Asunción), the National Council for Science and Technology of Paraguay (CONACYT), the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Government authorities, international organizations, and researchers participated.
Key objectives of the report
The report is based on several strategic objectives:
- Identify challenges and opportunities for implementing and maintaining early warning systems (EWS for droughts in particularly vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation).
- Share best practices, lessons learned, and innovative tools to mitigate the effects of droughts.
- Promote regional collaboration and capacity building through institutional networks.
- Formulate recommendations for a joint declaration on droughts and extreme events that can support national and multilateral policies.
Key topics and relevant findings
The report summarizes five key sessions:
- The economics of drought (UNCCD): Drought is a multidimensional threat that has increased in frequency by 29% since 2000, affecting one in four people worldwide between 2022 and 2023.
- State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2024 (WMO): According to the report, the region continues to face extreme conditions such as droughts, heat waves, fires, and floods. Therefore, regular climate monitoring is essential to inform policies and support decision-making throughout the region.
- EWS and the productive sector: Warning systems must be adapted to consider hazards, vulnerability, and exposure. An EWS for floods requires rapid response and communication, while EWS for droughts must consider longer-term risk assessment, trend monitoring, and sustained action over time.
- Case of the Southern Cone (Drought Information System for Southern South America, SISSA): Risk management strategies require useful, accessible, and scientific information, co-produced with local and regional actors.
- Energy sector: Multilateral negotiations and innovations in cross-border cooperation were key to Paraguay's ability to cope with the effects of drought on the Yacyretá dam.
Thematic panels and strategic conclusions
The meeting concluded with three panels:
- Science and public policy: Scientific knowledge needs to be translated into useful and participatory tools based on open data.
- New financing models: There is an urgent need to implement agricultural insurance, climate instruments, and public-private partnerships to ensure sustainability.
- Science diplomacy: This tool is an essential bridge between science, governments, and international institutions.
The final session closed with the presentation of the Declaration of Asunción on water security, biodiversity, and climate resilience, made official during CoP-33.
The report can be downloaded here.