The study "Valuing, restoring and managing presumed drylands: Cerrado, Miombo–Mopane woodlands and the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau" confirms the existence of 1 075 million hectares of presumed drylands that are under threat from unsustainable use and climate change. This is in addition to the 6.1 billion hectares of official drylands that already cover 41 percent of the planet’s land surface and are home to 2 billion people. All these areas contain high levels of biodiversity and are home to a large number of people reliant on agriculture to sustain their livelihoods, this is why it's so important to research, analyse and work to protect them. The report contains concrete information on the environmental and ecological value of these dryland areas, and key recommendations for actions to limit land degradation, sustain biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

The FAO-CARE- CGIAR joint technical working paper will contribute to developing an FAO position and improved understanding of the links between, and risks of, climate change and various kinds of conflict as related to FAO’s mandate, with particular attention to crisis contexts in dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral areas. More broadly, this will feed into UN system-level discussion and processes related to the multidimensional nature of Climate Security. The working paper will unpack how combined climate shocks, environmental degradation, and conflict exacerbate people’s vulnerability and reflect how responses should adapt to tackle these compounding challenges and bolster resilience. The joint study will gather and analyse examples of strategies and interventions that help communities identify and mitigate combined climate, environmental and conflict risks. The paper will then draw lessons learned and recommendations for design and implement projects that support people in achieving long term food security or in building up their ability to cope with multiple shocks, including those of climate change and conflict.

With climate change impacts already felt in the world’s drylands, there is an urgent need for action, at various scales and initiated by different stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of food production and livelihoods in these regions in the coming decades. There is also the need to rapidly establish baselines, assess and start monitoring progress on sustainability, emerging as result of the action taken. To aid in this effort, this paper provides a short list of expected transformations (under each of the three sustainability pillars) for guiding the planning and implementation of policy, governance and practice-level actions. Gender and indigenous people’s rights and knowledge will be considered cross-cutting issues. The expected transformations will be shared with and agreed by dryland experts and practitioners and will be complemented with additional relevant information sources and indicators.

Mediterranean forests are considered as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world. They provide a diversity of forest products (wood and non-wood forest products)which are the basis for socio-economic development in the Mediterranean, contributing therefore to food security and poverty alleviation in rural areas. The committee on Mediterranean Forest Questions (Silva Mediterranea ) of FAO identified the urgent need to launch the preparation of the State of Mediterranean Forests (SoMF) to enhance communication and strengthen partnership on forest issues at the regional level. This working paper presents the concept and the process to be put in place to achieve a thorough monitoring system on forest resources and policies in the Mediterranean, based on a complete set of indicators comparable at the regional scale.

Following the request of sub-Saharan countries and partners, FAO has coordinated the preparation of these guidelines with the participation of a wide range of partners and experts. The guidelines are based on widely accepted international standards for sustainable forest management and are categorized under nine principles. They are intended to support those responsible for planning and managing forests and related resources in addressing the complex and inter-related issues and drivers behind forest degradation and desertification.

The primary objective of this document is to provide an overview of the actual and potential impact of climate change on forests and forest dependent people in the Near East region, of climate change mitigation opportunities in the forestry sector, and of needs for effective national and regional responses. The study examines the major issues and developments related to climate change impacts and responses in the region as regards forests and highlights related opportunities for regional action to address gaps and needs. FAO is working through its Regional Forestry Commissions as well as other regional and sub-regional processes to encourage regional cooperation in the area of forests and climate change. This publication is intended to provide a point of departure for identifying and catalyzing regional action to complement and enhance national efforts. The publication will be of interest to specialists and policy-makers in forestry and climate change in the Near East region as well as forest managers, students and general audiences interested in learning more about forests and climate change in the region.    

The Near East Region (including North Africa) includes a variety of climates but the xeric, arid and semi-arid conditions dominate. Forestry and foresters need to incorporate all the wealth yielded by the decade long intense international dialogue on forestry in their approaches, operations and technical packages so as to respond to the ever diversifying needs of today’s communities living in such environment. The guidelines to forestry practice help produce a number of indications and tools to help in this endeavour.