IUCN Global Drylands Initiative: Conserving and sustainably managing drylands for the well-being of society

Drylands are found worldwide covering 41% of all land and they are home to over 2 billion people: a third of humanity. They include a great variety of habitats including sub-humid forests, semi-arid savannahs, arid grasslands, desert oases, and many other beautiful and important ecosystems. Drylands support one third of the Global Conservation Hotspot Area and they are home to at least 28% of endangered species.

Drylands also provide important ecosystem services that benefit society. They provide fodder, food, fuel and other goods that are used to create resilient livelihoods. Despite their aridity, drylands include many major water sheds that supply water to billions of people while regulating hy- drological cycles and mitigating flood and drought risks. Drylands also regulate climate locally, through provision of shade and shelter, and glob- ally through capture and storage of carbon: more than a third of all terrestrial carbon is stored in drylands, mostly in dryland soils.

Challenges of the drylands The drylands have uniquely high levels of climatic uncertainty and frequent periods of water shortage. Although they are labelled “low- potential areas” they include high-value resource zones, like oases and wetlands, which are vital to the survival of vast areas of land. They are shaped by natural forces including herbivore pressures and fire. Dryland biodiversity, cultures and livelihoods are highly adapted to these features. Misunderstanding of those adaptations, including the way people manage risks, continue to lead to harmful policies and investments.

Drylands are at risk of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and this has consequences for human development and resilience. Drylands face particular threats from agriculture, expansion of set- tlements and infrastructure, and over-extraction of natural re- sources such as wood. 168 countries report to be affected by deser- tification, which is defined by the United Nations as land degradation The World’s Biodiversity Hot Spots with those in Drylands in the drylands. Desertification is estimated to affect 30% of all dry- Colored Red lands, contributing to loss of biodiversity, disruption of ecosystem functions, loss of resilience, and higher levels of poverty. About the Drylands Initiative Goal: restore and sustainably manage dryland ecosystems and conserve dryland biodiversity, with particular emphasis on dry rangelands, which occupy more than three quarters of the drylands.

The drylands programme is active in West Asia, West and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, Central Asia and Latin America, as well as in global fora. Initiatives include:

 “National Voluntary Target Setting for Land Degradation Neutrality”, implemented in partnership with the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD in more than 70 countries in support of SDG Target 15.3  “HERD: Healthy Ecosystem for Rangeland Development”, currently implemented in Jordan and Egypt, under development in Kenya and South Africa, and targets 10 countries by 2023.  “Closing the Gaps in the Great Green Wall”, which broadens stakeholder engagement to ensure more comprehensive approaches to eco- system restoration and sustainable land management in the Sahel.  “WISP: the World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism”, a global knowledge network that supports the empowerment of pastoralists to sustainably manage dryland resources.

Partnerships The GDI is IUCN’s focal point to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, representing IUCN as an International Observer on the UNCCD Science Policy Interface. The programme collaborates with government and nongovernmental partners as well as inter- governmental bodies like the League of Arab States, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community.

GDI is implementing and delivering country and regional programmes with government and non governmental partners worldwide address- ing desertification and rangeland land restoration.

For more information: www.iucn.org/drylands

Contact: [email protected]