The Geoecology Department of Martin Luther University (MLU) participated in the recent OUTLAST workshop, held on November 14-15, 2024, in Koblenz, Germany. This event marked the culmination of two previous regional workshops in 2023, bringing together stakeholders from the Lake Victoria Basin and Central Asia.
Organized by the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC), a UNESCO Category 2 Centre hosted at the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), the workshop focused on co-designing a web portal for drought hazard monitoring and forecasting. Supported by UNESCO, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Kazakh-German University in Almaty, the event facilitated discussions among policymakers, stakeholders, and technical experts.
Dr. Muhammad Usman represented MLU during the workshop, presenting key results from the Green Central Asia initiative, including the advancements in Droughtmap-ASB, a tool developed by MLU for drought monitoring. His contribution highlighted the department’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges through innovative approaches and international collaboration.
The workshop also featured contributions from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), web developers, and experts from ICWRGC and BfG. Stakeholders from pilot regions actively engaged in sessions to optimize the presentation of drought hazard indicators for monitoring and seasonal forecasting on the portal.
