October 10, Poltava — MAMA-86-Poltava NGO and Poltava State Agrarian Academy in the framework of the Integrated Drought Management Programme (the Programme), launched in March 2013 by Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), held a seminar “Drought Management — Practical Aspects for Farm Enterprisers.”

Since July, 2013 GWP-Ukraine together with partner organizations have been implementing several working directions of the European Component of the Programme, aimed at policy analysis in the field of natural (water, land and forest) resources management under drought conditions, drought monitoring development as well as sharing of information, development of policy guidelines and planning tools. Within the Programme, 2 pilots on drought management in agriculture and forestry are being implemented in Ukraine.

Seminar in Poltava became the logical continuation of the pilots’ implementation and was aimed to raise awareness among farmers about the practical aspects of drought management. The participants were introduced with the results of the pilot on improving of monitoring and upgrading of forecast modeling of drought’s impacts in the agrosector, in particular with the results of the pilot on new agro-climatic zoning of Ukraine with due account to climate change.

The seminar was held at the Poltava Organic Centre for Organic Agriculture, Poltava State Agrarian Academy, and gathered 30 participants from different districts of Poltava region.

The main objectives of the workshop were: to discuss the approaches and tools of drought management in Ukraine and to get familiar with EU practice; to consider the characteristics and priorities for drought management in Ukraine as well as identify ways to reduce the negative effects of drought for the agrosector.

The seminar was attended by representatives of the Poltava region leading farms, MAMA-86 NGO, scientists of the Poltava State Agrarian Academy, experts of the Ukrainian Hydromeorological Centre and the Poltava Hydromeorological Centre, the Regional Agricultural Advisory Service.

 Professor Pavlo Pisarenko, Vice-principal of the Poltava State Agrarian Academy, opened the seminar. Anna Tsvietkova, MAMA-86 National Water Programme Coordinator, made a welcoming speech on behalf of GWP-Ukraine. In the introductory speeches, the presenters emphasized the actuality of the seminar due to climate change trends and impact on the agrosector.

Anna Tsvetkova introduced the GWP-WMO Integrated Drought Management Programme global content and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Component, as well as its goals and objectives, implementation plans in 10 countries across the CEE region, the interrelation with the region’s water problems, and outlined the prospects of the Programme implementation in Ukraine.

Tatiana Adamenko, Head of Agrometeorology Department, Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre, during her presentation “Drought: Main Agro-Climatic Trends and Prognouses for Ukraine” presented monitoring system, analysis of climatic trends over the past 50 years in Ukraine, and a new map of the drought probability, which was developed on the basis of the agro-climatic zoning revision of Ukraine, considering climate change trends. The expert also highlighted the role of the national agrosector for the food security issue in Ukraine and globally, introduced forecasting modelling of crop losses from drought, and prospects of the agrosector underin climate change.

Professor Pavlo Pisarenko presented an extended five-year report on land degradation and desertification of Ukraine, which included analysis of the basic premise of these processes along with prognoses about the social and economic losses, and the ways of responding to climate change in the form of mitigation and adaptation measures in the agrosector, one of the most effective of which is the introduction of organic farming.

Nikolai Opara, Pro-rector for Research of the Poltava State Agrarian Academy, made a presentation “Maintaining and Increasing Soil Fertility.” He stressed that the problem of soil erosion is the most severe one and not only for Poltava region, but also for agricultural lands across Ukraine, and global warming plays a significant role in the soil fertility degradation processes. The ways of increasing soil fertility were considered, such as the minimum soil tillage, the main one, and implementation of crops rotation system. Forest and tree belts play a key role as drought and soil dehydration resistance in the process of combatting the climate change effects. Shelterbelts are an important component of soil defense farming. 

As a logical continuation, relevant to the subject of the seminar, was the presentation by Svetlana Andrienko, director of the Poltava Regional Agricultural Advisory Service, on agricultural risks insurance for farmers in Ukraine. She presented the main types of agricultural risks insurance, their advantages and features. The expert also showed the basic insurance mechanisms for different types of agricultural activities.

The final speech at the seminar was delivered by prof. Pavlo Pisarenko, who introduced participants with the Klimovo Eco-village Project (Shishatsky district, Poltava region). The idea of eco-villages is not new for Ukraine, and in the Poltava region, as in the region with the relatively clean status, this eco-village is a pilot one. Prof. Pisarenko emphasized the need of population education for sustainable consumption and production, eco-village will be a practical example of resource-saving technologies and environmental ideology in general.

On the whole, all presentations were accompanied by lively discussion of the most pressing problems in the agrosector. As a result of the workshop, organizers came up with the conclusion of the need to continue monitoring the situation and practical implementation of optimal solutions to the drought problem in the Poltava region.