Comprehensive FAO analysis published for improved disaster risk reduction and management systems

By helping communities avoid or lessen the impact of disasters, efforts to reduce and manage disaster risk can save lives and protect livelihoods. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports countries in developing disaster risk reduction and management systems for their agriculture sectors, not only to respond to disaster impacts but also to increase the resilience of at-risk populations by combining prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

To this end, FAO has released a series of comprehensive baseline studies of disaster risk reduction and management systems for agriculture in Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkmenistan, following similar earlier publications for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan.

Agriculture and the people who depend on it are particularly exposed to disasters caused by natural hazards. The impacts of climate-related extremes often disrupt food production and water supply and damage natural resources and infrastructure. FAO has been promoting and increasing efforts to facilitate proactive risk management, for which information and data are key.

“Informed decision-making and targeted actions require baseline documents such as these reports,” said Daniela Mangione, FAO field programme officer. “Governments are requested to be considerate with spending public funds wisely, and in this regard, the FAO series on the comprehensive analysis of disaster risk reduction and management system for agriculture allows them to get a deeper understanding of the risks and hazards for their agricultural sector, their national structure and framework for disaster risk reduction, as well as a list of recommendations – all crucial elements for ensuring impactful and effective changes.”

As the reports highlight, various natural hazards are common in Europe and Central Asia, including flooding, drought, hail, avalanches, landslides and storms. With the exacerbation of climate change impacts, these extreme weather events – as well as temperature and precipitation changes – are likely to increase in frequency and intensity, negatively affecting food security, nutrition and ecosystem services.

For each country, the publications provide specific recommendations for strengthening the legal, policy and institutional framework on disaster risk reduction and management and enhancing the Agricultural Market Information System and early warning systems. The publications also share recommendations for reducing underlying vulnerabilities; improving damage, loss and post-disaster needs assessments; and developing agricultural insurance.

“The safety of tomorrow is rooted in the proactive measures of today,” Mangione added.

Montenegro

Natural hazards, including flooding, drought, heavy precipitation (rain and snow), frost and wildfires occur frequently in Montenegro, endangering the country’s agricultural production and food security.

Montenegro is a party to several international treaties and conventions on disaster risk management, climate change and food security. In the coming years, the further development of strategic and policy frameworks, especially in the agriculture sector, is expected.

An early warning system is in place for providing agrometeorology services and for monitoring and forecasting dangerous endogenous and exogenous natural processes that threaten the country’s territory.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia is prone to flooding (especially river flooding), drought, hailstorms and late spring and early autumn frost, all of which can have devastating impacts on agricultural production. Natural hazards have occurred more frequently and intensively in recent decades, and it is expected that climate change will cause the country to become hotter and moderately drier. All these are likely to negatively impact yields by 2050, particularly affecting perennial and summer crops. Plant and animal pests and diseases also are common in the country.

Disaster risk reduction has been embedded into the legal and policy framework of North Macedonia, but there remains room for improvement. While early warning systems are providing information to farmers and the public in the country, according to the country’s national development strategy, institutions still lack the ability to conduct systematic risk and hazard assessments, design and implement proactive measures to avert disasters, and ensure readiness for effective responses through prepared and coordinated efforts.

Serbia

In general, Serbia is prone to various natural hazards – particularly flooding, drought, hail, landslides, wildfires and storms. Besides the increase in the occurrence of often devastating extreme weather events (such as intense drought, rain and hailstorms), prolonged vegetation seasons due to increased temperatures in winter or early spring may result in a higher possibility of disease or insect occurrence.

Serbia has developed legal policy documents that allow for a proactive emergency response to build the resilience of communities to current and future external shocks and stresses. Still, FAO’s analysis shows that the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into agriculture sector plans and programmes is quite limited. Early warning systems (including of meteorological and hydrological events and of market information) exist but could be further modernized and better fit for purpose.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is vulnerable to more than ten types of natural hazards that affect – directly and indirectly – the development of the agriculture sector. Realizing this, the country has joined several international treaties and conventions on disaster risk management, climate change and food security. Institutions are in place to act in an emergency; however, procedures to reduce agricultural disaster risks are lacking. The existing system of monitoring and prediction of disaster risks is insufficient, as is the forecasting system for hydrological and agrometeorological trends.