Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity & Governance
Why in News?
Recently, Delegates from 196 nations plus EU officials have met in Mongolia to discuss how best to tackle drought and desertification.
- Outcome – No resolution was reached, and the debate has been deferred to COP18, scheduled to take place in Egypt in 2027.
Key Areas of Disagreement
- The debate centers on whether agreements should be binding, with strict global rules, or voluntary, allowing for flexible national goals.
- There is disagreement regarding problem framing, specifically whether to emphasize universal impacts or focus on region-specific consequences.
- Responsibility is contested between advocates of global collective action and proponents of national sovereignty.
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Global Drought Conditions
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- In the United Kingdom, severe drought conditions have resulted in empty reservoirs and the implementation of hosepipe bans following the hottest summer since 1884. Currently, 71.3% of England remains affected by drought.
- Globally, all continents, including Antarctica, are experiencing extreme drought and flood events.
- In the Himalayas, floods in the Nepal-Tibet region following a glacial collapse have led to an increasing death toll.
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UNCCD and Institutional Fragmentation
- The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), established in 1994 as part of the Rio Conventions, is the only legally binding framework addressing land degradation, desertification, and drought.
- Institutional fragmentation persists as climate, biodiversity, and land treaties operate independently, resulting in a lack of synergy among these frameworks.
- The United States has opposed the inclusion of a “synergies” agenda item, thereby impeding efforts to enhance coordination among related treaties.
The ICJ Advisory Opinion of 2025 declared combating drought a binding law connected to climate obligations and human rights.
Though non‑binding, exert legal and political influence, shaping treaties into domestic laws and court rulings.
Reference
Down to Earth | World on Drought
