13 March 2013: The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have launched a global campaign on drought preparedness and risk management. The Campaign was inaugurated on 13 March, during the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP) in Geneva, Switzerland.
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6 March 2013: In the context of the upcoming High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 11-15 March 2013, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is highlighting a collection of tools and outputs of its research centers that are contributing to more effective responses to drought.
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6 March 2013: The Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and its technical institution, AGRHYMET Regional Center, have launched a new platform dedicated to climate change and sustainable land management.
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27 February 2013: The World Bank has granted the "Green Team Award" to the Sahel and West Africa Program in Support of the Great Green Wall Initiative (SAWAP/GGWI), in recognition of its work in 12 African countries to address land degradation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as biodiversity and forests.
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25 February 2013: The UN Office for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has announced it is assisting the Government of Palestine in establishing its first national disaster loss database. UNISDR is conducting disaster assistance training with 100 government, non-governmental, and UN agency participants.
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20 February 2013: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS) has published the February 2013 issue of its bulletin, which focuses on harmful substances, hazardous waste, and ecosystem management. The newsletter addresses the potential environmental damage caused by dust storms, stressing the need to put in place effective early warning systems.
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15 February 2013: The UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), through its Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAP), has partnered with East Africa's Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to promote the use of geospatial technologies to improve disaster reduction in East Africa.
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The 2013 annual World Day to Combat Desertification will focus on the slogan “Don't let our future dry up.” The day is celebrated on 17 June, to mark the conclusion of negotiations on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This year's theme of drought and water scarcity takes into account that 2013 is also the International Year of Water Cooperation. World Day to Combat Desertification 2013 will seek to create awareness about the risks of drought and water scarcity in the drylands and beyond, and to call attention to the importance of sustaining healthy soils as part of the post-Rio+20 agenda and post-2015 development agenda.
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February 2013: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has made available the report of the workshop on capacity building for pilot countries on the implementation of synergies among the Rio Conventions.
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20 February 2013: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a compendium of Global Environmental Goals (GEGs), aiming to inform governments and relevant stakeholders and promote cooperation in achieving their objectives in a more coherent and harmonized manner. The publication was announced in a UNEP Conference Room Paper (UNEP/GCSS.XII/CRP.2), dated 20 February 2013.
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