OSS at the Heart of Drought Resilience

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), represented by its Executive Secretary Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, took an active part in the Inaugural Conference of the Riyadh Drought Resilience Partnership (RDRP), held in Cologne on 23–24 June 2025.

Organized on the sidelines of the Bonn Climate Meetings (16–24 June), this high-level event brought together decision-makers, development partners, representatives from civil society, the private sector, and the research community to define the governance, strategic priorities, and financial mechanisms of the RDRP.

Speaking during Panel 3 on "Synergies and Integration of Current Efforts", Mr. Ben Khatra clearly outlined the main barriers to the implementation of drought resilience efforts:

• Fragmented governance, where public policies on water, agriculture, biodiversity, and climate are often developed in silos, hindering integrated approaches;

• Limited technical and institutional capacities, preventing many national and local actors from effectively designing, implementing, and monitoring sustainable projects;

• Difficult access to climate finance, as multilateral mechanisms are often complex to navigate—especially for the most vulnerable countries—combined with the lack of a dedicated fund for drought resilience;

• Fragmented and non-harmonized data, making regional-level planning and monitoring inconsistent.

In response to these challenges, the Executive Secretary highlighted OSS’s collaborative and integrated approach, which is built on:

• Cross-sectoral and cross-border coordination;

• Capacity building at the local level, through the use of decision-support tools (platforms and geoportals);

• Design of bankable projects and programmes, aligned with climate priorities;

• Harmonization of data systems; and

• Strong involvement of local communities in every phase of drought resilience action planning and implementation.

As an African intergovernmental organization accredited to both the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund, OSS reaffirms its commitment to actively support the implementation of the RDRP and to contribute to enhancing climate resilience across Africa.