Dear colleagues,

I want to share with you an interesting upcoming event that might be of value to our CLP community.

The GEO-WB6 online seminar will take place on June 25th, 2025 at 11:00 AM CET, featuring a presentation by Francelino Rodrigues from FAO Albania on the topic:

"Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation (DART): Shaping Inclusive Digital Futures in Albania’s Countryside"

📝 Registration link: https://www.geo-wb6.net/events

This seminar is part of the GEO-WB6 initiative, which supports the development of geoinformation capacities in the Western Balkans to strengthen agriculture and natural resource management. More about the project: www.geo-wb6.net

The event is open to all – feel free to join if interested

Another year with long consecutive days without rain in Europe...
Will this affect the price of some major agricultural products from Northern Mediterranean region? For example, Spain is a main producer of cucumbers in EU, and Italy and Greece produce a large proportion of olive products (including olive oil) in EU.
Let us see the prices of such products say in the autumn, perhaps that will give a direct impression on how drought affects economy and our daily consumption.

Hello there, I am Marvin Tejada, an architect, environmental planner and an urbanist, with specialist interest in water urbanism, ecology, sustainability, heritage conservation, environmental planning, and biodiversity. I am a member of International Water Association (IWA), International Water Resource Association (IWRA), Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Human Settlements (EAROPH), Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), Society of Ecological Restoration (SER) and the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP). Thank you for your warm welcome!

Un dia para Celebrar🌿

The Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP)
Official webpage: https://www.unep.org/unepmap/index.php/who-we-are

It seems that UNEP/MAP does a lot of work related to water and drought, sometimes with a unique 'ocean perspective'. On its webpage we can find a lot of useful information.

The Mediterranean Action Plan of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP) is a regional cooperation platform established in 1975 as the first regional action plan under the UNEP Regional Seas Programme.

The Regional Seas Programme launched in 1974 to coordinate activities aimed at the protection of the marine environment through a regional approach. UNEP/MAP became a model for other UNEP-administered Regional Seas Action Plans around the world.

UNEP/MAP was instrumental in the negotiation and adoption of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) and its Protocols by the Contracting Parties: 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Union.

The Barcelona Convention and its Protocols constitute a unique and advanced multilateral legal framework for the protection of the marine and coastal environment and sustainable use of their resources in the Mediterranean.

The UNEP/MAP–Barcelona Convention system is the comprehensive institutional, legal and implementation framework that the Contracting Parties have adopted for concerted action to fulfill the vision of a healthy Mediterranean Sea and Coast that underpin sustainable development in the region.

Over the last four decades, the UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention system has responded to evolving environmental challenges and bolstered a growing body of knowledge on marine and coastal ecosystems and of interactions between development and environment in the Mediterranean region.

Hello everyone!
What a pleasure to be part of this inspiring community!
I'm Dieudonne Ilboudo, a water and environment specialist currently working at the General Office of Agropastoral Development and Irrigation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animals and Fisheries Resources of Burkina Faso.
My work focuses on sustainable water resource management, soil conservation, land reclamation, and environmental preservation. I have over four years of experience in community projects promoting climate change adaptation, integrated water resource management, and the development of rice-growing lowlands.
I recently led initiatives on the management of invasive aquatic plants, transforming them into valuable resources such as compost and biochar to support local agriculture and the circular economy. I am passionate about drought resilience (Zai and Half-Moon Techniques) and ethical, inclusive, and innovative approaches to natural resource governance, and I strive to integrate local knowledge and community participation into all aspects of my work.
I look forward to learning, collaborating, and contributing to this dynamic network !

Dear community,

I am Moussa from Morocco.
I work as a research assistant and consultant in rural developement. My research and operational project focus on water harvesting and GIAHS (Globally Important Agriculture Heritage System) based on Argan tree in the Souss Massa region.

I am happy to join this community to learn together.
Thank you

Moussa Ait el kadi

Can AI Really Predict Drought?

Imagine if we could see the drought before it comes and act before it's too late.

That’s what AI promises give a chance to look into the future and protect our farms, rivers, and communities.

But here’s the truth:
AI only learns from what we give it.
If our data is poor, broken, or missing…
The system can’t help us. It won’t see the warning signs.
And that means farmers might suffer. Crops might fail.
And decisions will come too late.

So the real question isn’t just “Can AI predict drought?”
It’s:
Are we giving AI the right tools to learn?

We need to invest in better data, stronger systems, and local knowledge because every piece of information can save lives, protect water, and secure our future.

🤖 AI is not magic.
It’s a tool and we must build it wisely.

Is Drought Forecasting Helpful? Why It Matters for Better Decisions

Our lives depend on the choices we make. These choices shape our future. Now, think bigger—about a country, its economy, and millions of people. Their future depends on good decisions too. This is why drought forecasting is important. If we know early about dry times ahead, we can prepare better. This helps us make smart decisions to save water, protect crops, and keep people safe.

Drought forecasting is not just about guessing if it will rain or not. It uses many tools and methods to give us clear information about the future:
1) Drought indices are numbers that show how dry the land is, like the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and others.
2) Models: Scientists use weather and climate data with computer models to predict drought.

3) Artificial intelligence and machine learning learn from past data to improve drought predictions.
4) Advanced tools platforms like Climate Engine and SEED-FD help monitor droughts and predict sudden dry spells.
5) The hybrid approach that combines different methods, gives better and more reliable forecasts.
These tools help governments and communities prepare for droughts earlier and make better decisions. It means fewer surprises and less damage. In short, drought forecasting helps us manage risks and protect lives. Without it, we make decisions too late. With it, we are ready and strong. The future depends on what we do today. Drought forecasting gives us the information to make good choices.

Dear CLP members,
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be part of this diverse global community as a co-chair. I am looking forward to working with you to contribute towards our shared goals of addressing droughts, reversing desertification and building resilience against disasters across the globe.
In this message, let me briefly introduce myself. I am working as an Associate Professor of Water Resources planning at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft the Netherlands. My educational background is multi-disciplinary, with a PhD degree in hydrology and water resource, MPhil in Water Resources Management and BSc in Agricultural Engineering. I have about 25 years of professional experience on a wide range of hydrology, water management and disaster risk issues across several countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. I am deeply committed to contribute to address global water, land and drought related challenges. I am passionate to bridge the science-policy-practice gaps, and enjoy working with transdisciplinary actors from these arenas. I am actively participating in various drought and water management related networks including IAHS network on Drought in the Anthropocene and UN-Water SDG6 Capacity Development Initiative.

At DiTA network, I am coordinating a webinar series on bridging the science-policy-practice gap. Taking this opportunity, I warmly invite you to the upcoming webinar planned on 26th June (see flyer).

Looking forward to working with you to drive the positive change!
Yours sincerely,
Ilyas Masih

Hello Everyone, I'm Chinthaka and am a newly joined member. Currently, I am a PhD researcher at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand. I am investigating the soil moisture behavioural patterns (especially soil moisture memory - SMM) for enhancing agricultural drought monitoring in mainland Southeast Asia.

I am glad to join the community and look forward to interesting discussions and exchanging knowledge.