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The training programme, which aims to build the capacity of agriculture and climate
scientists on the techniques of data development and analysis tailored for use in monitoring
drought, will also provide a platform for exchanging experiences among participants.
In South Asia, a large majority of people lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture,
forestry, fisheries and livestock. These livelihood sources are highly vulnerable to climate induced hazards such as erratic precipitation, floods and droughts, as well as market price
volatility. Considering the adverse impacts of drought on agricultural production and food
security, it is critical that we prepare line agencies to understand the drought phenomenon
better and monitor them regularly.
This training programme is a timely and important endeavour and the resource book will
serve as a ready reference for training participants. I hope that the skills and experiences
shared in this training programme will help the participants’ in using Earth observation
data and climate data analysis to develop a better understanding of droughts, and help them
in monitoring them and develop timely and suitable agri-advisories. I thank the ICIMOD
team, contributors and Dr. Pradyumna Raj Pandey, Senior Programme Specialist (Crops),
for their dedicated efforts in organizing the regional training and for bringing out this
resource book.