The Agriculture, Water and Land Reform ministry is holding a national consultative engagement with the aim of reviewing the National Drought Policy of 1997. The meeting comes after a three-week countrywide stakeholder engagement soliciting input into the policy in order to effectively address challenges the nation faces in responding to drought. In a speech read on his behalf by the ministry's Executive Director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, line minister Carl Schlettwein stressed the need to adopt policies and strategies to mitigate drought and its effects on communities. Schlettwein bemoaned the fact that over the past decade, the country recorded a number of shocks because of climate change and therefore preparedness and readiness must be well thought of. In the past 10 years the government, together with its development partners, spent over N$10.6 billion on the provision of water, especially in terms of rural water supply. The policy thus aims to get the country prepared, responsive and resilient to the drought phenomenon.