Drylands
Drylands can be found on every continent and cover extensive areas of land – they stretch over 41% of Earth’s land surface and are home to one third of the human population. People living in drylands are highly dependent on the ecosystem services such as livestock, fuelwood, medicinal plants, etc. provided by drylands for their basic needs. The maintenance of the services delivered by dryland ecosystems is critical to half the number of people in poverty and to help to achieve the other seven Millennium Development Goals.
IUCN and drylands
Recognizing the significance of dryland environments with their unique biological diversity and their importance for the livelihoods of millions of people, IUCN has been engaged in drylands-related activities for many years.
The Union’s involvement in dryland issues dates back to the early 1980’s, when the effects of drought and desertification on people and nature in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, spurred IUCN members to develop conservation and sustainable use activities notably in dryland ecosystems. In the 1990’s, the concerns about potentially increasing desertification led to the adoption of a number of resolutions at IUCN’s members’ business assemblies relating to conservation and sustainable development in drylands.
Work at global, regional, national and local levels
With the increasing recognition of the global importance of dryland ecosystems and the services they provide for people, IUCN has opted to pursue steps towards more coherent and coordinated programmatic action, linking its drylands work at global, regional, national and local levels. This line of action follows the subsequent key areas of work:
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Promotion and implementation of the ecosystem approach as a global policy for drylands management on a landscape scale. |
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Provision of planning and management guidance addressing specific dryland conservation and development needs. |
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Improved knowledge and understanding of the role and values of dryland ecosystem services. |
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Supporting multilateral processes towards sustainable livelihoods and conservation of ecosystem functions in drylands. |
For more information on IUCN’s key themes and activities as regards drylands please click here.
IUCN’s work in the world’s drylands strongly capitalizes on the expertise of specialists of IUCN’s six global Commissions as well as on its regional and national offices which include programmes and activities related to drylands. It is especially the work of the Regional Offices and the projects in the regions that ensures that IUCN's action and policy remains grounded in local realities.
To know more about IUCN’s work at regional, national and local levels, please visit the sites of or contact the following regional offices and programmes of IUCN:
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