Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response UNITED NATIONS 1 First published in October 2011 by the United Nations Environment Management Group. © 2011 United Nations This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The United Nations would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in written form from the copyright holders. Permission requests should be sent to permissions@ un.org or [email protected]. The use of information from this publication concerning proprietary products for advertising is not permitted. 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Printed on recycled paper. 2 Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response Prepared by the Environment Management Group 3 Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response Table of Contents Foreword by the United Nations Secretary-General 07 Preface by the Chair of the Environment Management Group 08 Preface by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention 09 to Combat Desertification Statement by the Members of the Environment Management Group 10 Executive Summary 12 Chapter 1: Introducing the drylands 21 1.1 People, land and water 22 1.2 Dryland ecosystems – unstable, but resilient 31 1.3 Dryland biodiversity and ecosytem services 33 1.4 Social dynamics in drylands 37 1.5 Understanding the complex relationship between livelihoods and 39 the environment 1.6 Conclusion 43 Chapter 2: Drylands in a global context 45 2.1 A changing world, changing drylands 46 2.2 Climate change 46 2.3 Agriculture and food security 48 2.4 Drylands are rising on the international community’s agenda 55 2.5 A sustainable approach: drylands development 56 Chapter 3: Drylands are worth investing in 57 3.1 Analytical framework 59 3.2 Why invest? 61 3.3 Types of investments 73 3.4 Renewable energy 77 3.5 Carbon market opportunities and constraints for drylands 82 3.6 Recapitalising the drylands: who benefits? 87 3.7 The cost of inaction 88 3.8 Conclusion 92 Chapter 4: Responding to the challenge – acting together 93 4.1 Strengthening the science-policy interface 94 4.2 Supporting the UNCCD 99 4.3 Interlinkages in the implementation of the drylands agenda 103 4.4 New impetus for change – a UN commitment 106 4.5 Integrating drylands targets into national development cooperation 111 4.6 Measuring progress in achieving drylands targets 114 4 Conclusion 116 Appendices 118 Appendix 1: Acronyms and abbreviations 118 Appendix 2: References 120 Appendix 3: List of tables 128 Appendix 4: List of figures 128 Appendix 5: Contributors 129 © Gary Yim Drylands occur on every continent. Hawkers in Colca Canyon, Peru. 5 Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response © Tim Booth / Shutterstock.com Tim © Water wheel powered by cattle, Rajasthan, India. 6 Foreword by the United Nations Secretary-General More than two billion people depend on the world’s arid and semi-arid lands. Preventing land degradation and supporting sustainable development in drylands has major implications for food security, climate change and human settlement. This report, issued at the beginning of the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification, sets out a shared strategy by UN agencies to rise to the challenge of addressing the special needs of these vital zones. Our focus is twofold: tackling the underlying causes of land degradation, and strengthening the capacity of dryland populations to mitigate and adapt to environmental change, including climate change. Our approach is proactive: by striving for drylands development, we can reverse and prevent desertification and land degradation, reduce poverty and support environmental sustainability. This report illustrates the many ways in which the UN system is identifying opportunities to mainstream the drylands agenda into the policy-making process. Its message is clear: only by intensifying global cooperation will we implement the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s 10-year strategic plan, achieve the Millennium Development Goals and attain truly sustainable development. I thank all who contributed to this report and commend it to the full range of stakeholders involved in drylands and development work. Ban Ki-moon United Nations Secretary-General 7 Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response Preface Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response sets out for the first time a coherent strategy by the United Nations to address the special needs of drylands from the perspective of the environment and human settlements. Prepared by members of the UN Environment Management Group (EMG), the report responds to calls by governments for a UN system-wide response to land challenges. It sets out a common vision and agenda for UN-wide action on dryland management and its role in addressing climate change and food security through a positive development and investment approach. The important premise of this report is that drylands – in developing countries in particular – have tended to be de facto ‘investment deserts’, plagued by chronic under- investment. With the Rio+20 summit around the corner, we must worth together to overcome the myth that practising environmental sustainability will always be at the expense of the economy. Ongoing economic development provides the surest foundation for managing the economic consequences of environmental variability, taking advantage of new or emerging opportunities and adapting to the impacts of climate change. However, such development must be done sustainably and equitably in the context of a Green Economy. The technologies for such a transition are available, and so, the question arises of identifying and overcoming the constraints or barriers to the ‘re-capitalization’ of drylands in developing nations. With its global reach and diverse range of activities and expertise, the UN system is uniquely positioned to catalyze this transition. I welcome the commitment by EMG members, as set out in this report, to demonstrate the benefits that a multi-sectoral approach can bring to the development and implementation of the international drylands agenda. Ultimately, this report shows that environmental sustainability and poverty reduction are intricately linked and must be approached holistically. As the 18 UN agencies that contributed to this report continue their engagement on land issues, we can look forward to an action plan and clear results-based objectives for the UN’s drylands initiatives as we unite to improve the well-being of drylands communities. Achim Steiner United Nations Under-Secretary-General Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Chair of the Environment Management Group 8 Preface This report is a measure of the efforts of 18 UN entities that came together to develop options for a policy framework and UN system-wide response to the challenges faced by drylands populations and ecosystems. Parties to the UNCCD also provided inputs. I also appreciate the Environmental Management Group for synthesizing the various inputs into one solid report. The report brings us a step closer to global awareness on the challenges posed by desertification / land degradation and drought. It reaffirms the need to implement the Convention with scientifically sound and proven policies as well as predictable resources. The report builds on the implementation of the UNCCD 10-year strategic plan, designed to assist governments and the international community to achieve green growth and sustainable development. The report presents a detailed view of how UN agencies support the UNCCD’s mandate and strategy. I believe that by working together, the UN system can be instrumental in bringing about transformation in the drylands and delivering on the longer-term objectives for which the UNCCD was conceived. The aims are to enhance inter- agency coordination, resilience and livelihoods for men and women and to improve the conditions of fragile ecosystems to deliver global benefit. Ninety percent of the world’s drylands populations live in developing countries where women and children are most vulnerable to the impacts of land degradation and drought. A stark illustration can be seen in the severe famine in drought-affected parts of the Horn of Africa. It is our duty to protect the drylands. They are home to unique biological and cultural diversity. Drylands populations have been innovative in their efforts to cope with often immense challenges. There are reasons to be optimistic. Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration and agroforestry techniques through planting of “fertilizer trees” on farmlands and grazing lands have already been adopted in many regions and have contributed to improving over six million hectares throughout Africa, including in Niger,