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Dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems, when well managed, contribute to the food security, livelihoods and resilience of millions of people as well as to sustainable landscapes. To understand and tackle the problems behind the loss and degradation of agrosilvopastoral systems in drylands, and to better support these systems, FAO was asked to set up a Working Group on dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems by the Committee on Forestry (COFO)’s 23^rd session in July 2016.

That Working Group will be formally established at its first meeting, which is to be organized during the first half of 2018, with a mandate to:

• review and report to COFO on the status, trends, issues and developments in dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems, and make recommendations to the Committee on these matters;
• contribute to develop a comprehensive understanding of dryland forest and agrosilvopastoral systems and the people who depend on them;
• promote scaling-up of good practices for the protection, sustainable management and restoration of dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems.

This work requires greater funding for action and investments in monitoring, sustainable management and restoration of dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems as well as their adaptation to climate change.

The Working Group has been asked to cooperate with relevant partners in assessing and following the status of dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems. It is also expected to contribute to decisions and policy developments to address challenges — work that includes identifying tools and approaches appropriate for drylands issues, as well as sharing knowledge and information about sustainable management, restoration and monitoring of dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems.