FAO and MALR work towards Sectoral Disaster Risk Reduction action planning for agriculture in Egypt

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR) in Egypt conducted an inception and consultation workshop to initiate work towards the Sectoral Disaster Risk Reduction “DRR” action planning for agriculture in Egypt.

The main objectives of the three days’ workshop were to assess and discuss the need for and value added of mainstreaming DRR into agriculture, and identify key value added actions for DRR in agriculture with the roles and contributions required by different stakeholders to enhance DRR capacities in agriculture during the envisioned development period.  The workshop is also to agree on a process of mainstreaming DRR in agriculture.

Experts from FAO RNE and HQ facilitated the planning process to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction in agriculture in Egypt that will be done through a participatory consultation process with key actors from agriculture, crisis and disaster management, water and irrigation, environment, local development, and other related sectors and will be guided by relevant global DRR framework and national development, DRR and sectoral strategies and priorities.

“Reducing the pressures of the agricultural sector on the surrounding environment is one of the corrective approaches to reducing the main risks associated with climate-induced disasters, in addition to increasing the resilience of the agricultural sector, especially in Upper Egypt” said Dr. Shereen Assem, deputy of the Agriculture Research Centre in her opening speech on behalf of H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ezz El Din Abu Steit.

“It is a sector that is identified as critical in promoting the National Strategy for DRR 2030 and in developing well-defined mechanisms in order to maximize the implementation of the Strategy, mentioning that the discussion was made early between ARC and FAO, and that it is agreed to formulate sectoral DRR action plan for the agriculture sector” she added.

“One of the most important factors behind the development of the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture Development is to protect farmers’ incomes from the negative impact of natural hazards. In the Strategy, agriculture sector is highlighted as a key affected sector by natural disasters particularly in rural and semi-rural areas” said Mr. Mohamed El-Ansary, representing FAO Egypt office.

On average, the disaster risk reduction good practices yield benefits (including avoided damage and losses) under hazard conditions that were 2.2 times higher than benefits gained via the practices previously used by farmers under the same hazard conditions. The average benefit–cost ratio of the new practices was 3.7 in hazard scenarios. Under non-hazard conditions the average ratio rose to 4.5.

“The workshop is going to assess and discuss the need for mainstreaming DRR into agriculture and identify key value added actions for DRR in agriculture, and the roles and contributions required by different actors to enhance DRR capacities in agriculture” Ansary added.

The mainstreaming process will be coordinated by MALR with active participation from the directorates of MALR at the various levels.