IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

A new destiny for our drylands

27 August 2009 | News story

Drylands cover more than 40% of the earth’s land surface and are home to more than a third of the world’s population, many of whom are the poorest of the poor. Found on every continent, drylands are the arid or semi-arid regions where rainfall is scarce and soils are less fertile. Despite their size, population and their importance for global sustainability, drylands receive scant attention on the international stage and awareness about their great value is low.

We need to change the widespread view that drylands are wastelands. Dryland ecosystems provide water, food, animal fodder, fuelwood, shelter and medicinal plants. They also produce a range of globally-important commodities such as gum arabic, frankincense and cashmere. Ecotourism, when properly managed, can benefit both local people and wildlife. More than 30% or our major food crops including wheat, barley and other cereals as well as livestock originate in drylands.

Climate change will have a disproportionate effect on dryland areas, contributing to desertification and increasing the vulnerability of people who live there. That’s why sustainable dryland management should be at the heart of policies to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

This month we focus on what the conservation community is doing to find solutions that simultaneously conserve the extraordinary biodiversity found in drylands and improve people’s livelihoods in a sustainable way. Dryland people have developed pastoral and farming systems that are adapted to their harsh conditions and have sustained them for centuries. It is critical to recognize their rights and empower them to manage their natural resources if the many threats to dryland ecosystems are to be resolved. Concerted efforts are needed at national, regional and international levels to support sustainable dryland management and to combat desertification.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the main multilateral treaty in the area of land degradation and sustainable land management in drylands. From 21 September to 2 October 2009, the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. IUCN is sending a strong delegation to ensure that efforts are stepped up to reverse the degradation of the world’s drylands and support the livelihoods of dryland people.