National Drought Committee Terms of Reference

Role: -
To coordinate the activities of all industry, community and government organisations involved in drought preparedness, response and recovery initiatives in drought affected regions.
Objectives:-
1. Coordinate information and reporting at the local, regional and national level on drought monitoring, prediction and overall feed availability.
2. Assess the overall national impact of the drought, including feed availability, the impact on production, human welfare issues and animal welfare issues.
3. Coordinate the response and recovery activities to ensure there is a consistent and cohesive approach. These activities could include:
• Regional and sectoral technology transfer programmes; • Government measures such as tax relief and welfare assistance; and • Local community activities, including activities by the Rural Support Trusts.
4. Provide ongoing monitoring and support for the rural community with regard to feed, the impact on production, human welfare issues and animal welfare issues.
5. Promote drought contingency planning to the rural community and emphasise a proactive, anticipatory approach to drought impact management in the affected regions.
6. Ensure all approaches taken to mitigate the impact of the drought are aligned with the approaches taken to address wider issues around climate change and sustainable land management.
7. Provide regular updates to the Government. These updates would be also be distributed to relevant industry organisations, Rural Support Trusts and local government.