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This publication is part of the ‘Integrated Drought Management Tools and Guidelines Series’. These National Drought Management Policy Guidelines are based on available literature, and draw findings from relevant works wherever possible. It is a resource guide/material for practitioners, not an academic paper.

This Handbook is based on available literature and draws findings from relevant works wherever possible. It addresses the needs of practitioners and policymakers and is considered as a resource guide/material for practitioners and not an academic paper. It is a ‘living document’ and will be updated based on the experiences of its readers.

The Indus River is a major transboundary river in Asia with nine tributaries. The River is about 2,800km long, with 2,682 km in Pakistan. The Indus drainage basin covers an area of about 1,140,000 km2 stretching from Afghanistan through China, India, and Pakistan. Monsoonal rains are the most important flood-causing factor in the Indus basin, followed by the size, shape, and land-use of the catchments as well as the conveyance capacity of the corresponding streams. The monsoon rains fall from June to September, and are generally intense and widespread.

The European rivers Mura, Drava and Danube form a 700 km long “green belt” connecting more than 800,000 ha of highly valuable natural and cultural landscapes in five countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia). This area is a symbol of unity among the countries and is planned to become a protected Transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Mura-Drava-Danube” (TBR MDD).

Water is central to food security, poverty reduction, economic growth, energy production, and human health. Due to climate change, catastrophic events, such as droughts and floods will increase, impacting lives, livelihoods, land values, and investment incentives. This briefing note focusses on programmes for Climate Resilience, and on integrated drought management in particular. Briefing notes are two-page summaries on selected topics. They are prepared by GWP’s Global Secretariat and its partners.

The Pantanoso watershed in Montevideo has been identified as vulnerable to threats of intense rains and floods, posing risks to the human settlements. To combat the risks, action was taken by the local population and governmental authorities to engage in a project on Climate Related Disaster Risk Management. The key lesson is that strengthening vulnerable communities upon climate risks represents a key tool for the IWRM, since it contributes to empowering the population.