By sharing our knowledge, experiences and support, we can stand up to drought
It’s that time of year again! FAO’s Dryland Forestry and South-South and Triangular Cooperation teams have joined together with UNCCD in honour of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. This year, the day focused on an important topic: ‘Rising up from drought together’. Droughts are among the greatest threats to sustainable development affecting both developing and developed countries, and this is especially true for dryland communities: droughts only exacerbate the land degradation already taking place in many dryland areas. Women are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts linked to this, but also hold the solutions.
To mark the event, FAO’s WeCaN initiative held its second enrichment session to raise the profile and increase the participation of women-led organizations in dryland areas, helping them make their voices heard on the global stage. The nexus between women’s participation and drought is the focus of the “Women Leadership and Advocacy Actions in Climate Change Negotiation” series and the second enrichment session will focus on looking back on, and learning lessons from, WeCaN’s experience at the #UNCCDCoP15 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
UNCCD's Ganesh Chaulagai opened the event, giving a comprehensive overview of the role of gender in COP15 last month, outlining the gender caucus recommendations, the Abidjan Declaration on Gender and the UNNCD COP 15’s decisions. Dunia Baroud El Khoury then shared her experience of representing WeCaN and her civil society organisation, Women’s Association of Deir el Ahmar, discussing the challenges and positive outcomes over the course of the event. Other WeCaN members also got the chance to have their voices heard in a video about the climate change challenges they face in their areas and the innovative techniques they use to tackle them, that was displayed at the COP15.
Lastly, UNCCD's Enni Kallio encouraged WeCaN members’ Civil Society Organisations to take part in the next UNCCD, highlighting how important getting voices from grassroots realities and incorporating a bottom-up approach into work is. Enni also gave some guidance on members about how to get accredited for the new COP in three years’ time.
“It is crucial to that we support building women’s agency, capabilities and confidence to speak up and present their proposals at global fora", said WeCaN’s Lucia Gerbaldo. “It’s our mission and responsibility as the WeCaN community to address these gaps and ensure that women’s experiences with drought and desertification are heard.”
Maha Mousa, WeCaN’s focal point in Jordan, said after the event that she felt :UN organizations are very serious in inclusion and that they take a bottom-up approach which will ensure success. I felt that there is great hope for women’s empowerment through sustainable landscape restoration.” Ruth Simpson, a WeCaN member from Interntaional Alert Lebanon, said “the WeCan network provides opportunities to increase active local engagement in decision making around climate issues with a gender lens”.
However, drought and desertification are not just important on June 17th! FAO works all year round to reduce and limit land degradation and help communities become more resilient to the impacts of drought and climate change in dryland areas.
FAO’s latest publications
Just last month, FAO released a new publication taking a deep dive into "presumed drylands", dryland-like areas that are at significant risk of degradation in the near future, but remain poorly researched and undervalued. Drought and precipitation levels played a major part in creating the economic model that allowed FAO to project changes in agricultural productivity over the 2021-2050 time horizon as a result of clearing of native vegetation and reduced precipitation in presumed dryland areas.
Later this year, FAO is launching ‘Grazing with trees’, a new assessment of the economic benefits of incorporating agro-forestry into traditional drylands livestock management, bringing a range of benefits to livelihoods, food security and local communities.
Making Every Voice Count for Adaptive Management
FAO’s Making Every Voice Count for Adaptive Management (MEV-CAM) initiative is working to increase knowledge exchange between countries facing similar issues of drought, desertification land degradation. Using participatory video methodologies, it boosts the participation of community members in the processes of documenting and sharing knowledge about experiences and best practices of management in dryland landscapes.
GEF-7 Dryland’s Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme – moving towards implementation
The MEVCAM knowledge management technique plays a major role in documenting best practices and change in dryland areas through the GEF-7 Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (DSL IP). This project helps countries to achieve land degradation neutrality and overcome specific regional challenges through knowledge transfer and targeted technical assistance. The DSL-IP incorporates WeCaN and MEV-CAM as key pillars for outreach and knowledge exchange between participating countries and beyond.
In fact, MEVCAM launched its Participatory Video training in February, involving several DSL-IP member countries.
After hard work from FAO, GEF, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wildlife Fund, World Bank, UNCCD, and CDE/WOCAT, almost all of the preparatory activities have been completed and the project is speeding towards the implementation phase in eleven countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.
Drought and desertification is, understandably, a key topic for dryland communities. To enable countries facing these challenges to build back better, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and best practices is vital. This includes the unique knowledge held by women, who often bear the responsibility of finding water and collecting food and are disproportionately affected by these issues.
Only by working together can communities affront drought and desertification.
Call to Action on Dryland Forests: Mobilising Partnerships and Support Through a Dedicated Accelerator
02/10/2026
Dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems sustain the livelihoods, food security, and resilience of over two billion people, while delivering vital services for biodiversity, climate adaptation, land restoration, and sustainable food systems. Yet their contributions remain overlooked, and investment in their sustainable management and restoration falls critically short. The Call to Action on Dryland Forests sets out a shared agenda to bridge this gap.
Twelve misconceptions about agrosilvopastoral systems – and how to overcome them
14/08/2026
Agrosilvopastoral systems can contribute to food security, resilient livelihoods, biodiversity, climate adaptation and sustainable land management. Yet they are often reduced to simplified practice, such as grazing under trees or adding trees to livestock and farming landscapes; this brochure examines 12 common misconceptions about agrosilvopastoral systems and explains how evidence, policy and practice can overcome them
Advancing women's leadership in dryland regions through the three Rs: rights, representation and resources
30/10/2024
This WeCaN Nurturing Community of Knowledge Practice for Women policy brief focuses on advancing women's leadership in dryland regions through the three Rs: rights, representation and resources. It includes useful case studies collected from WeCaN members across many dryland areas, showcasing the benefits of strong women leadership on environments and communities.
Applying MEV-CAM tools: participatory video
30/01/2024
The Making Every Voice Count for Adaptive Management (MEV-CAM) toolkit provides process documentation facilitators with instruments for documenting change through participatory video to generate knowledge, monitor impact, and share practices.
Compost as solid waste management in Jordan
30/11/2023
This document aims to show the impact of good practices on local communities, from their own perspective.
Live fencing in Uganda
30/05/2023
This good practice, focusing on live fencing, comes from local communities in Uganda and provides a guide to restoring local ecosystems and farms through natural fencing methods.
Gabion baskets: A simple solution to a big problem
30/05/2023
This best practice, focusing on gabion baskets, comes from local communities in Malawi and provides a guide to the use of gabion baskets to improve landscape resilience.
From charcoal to honey in Malawi
30/05/2023
This best practice, focusing on beekeeping, comes from local communities in Malawi and provides a guide to implementing beekeeping as an alternative livelihood.
Farmer managed natural regeneration in Uganda
30/05/2023
This good practice, focusing on farmer managed natural regeneration, comes from local communities in Uganda and provides a guide to restoring local ecosystems through natural planting methods.
Theatre for development to engage local communities
30/04/2023
This best practice focuses on the use of Theatre for Development with local communities in Malawi.
Regenerative grazing for climate, ecosystem, and human health
30/11/2022
With regenerative grazing management, that is, the right management of livestock and wildlife for the right context, land degradation can be reversed, leading not only to a rapid regain of ecoystem function but to greater revenue for the women, men and youth drawing their livelihoods from these landscapes. This paper explores agroforestry, regenerative grazing management and silvopastoral systems.
Grazing with trees - A silvopastoral approach to managing and restoring drylands with trees: Policy brief
30/11/2022
The Grazing with trees policy brief accompanies the Grazing with Trees publication, giving an overview of the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands. Trees in dryland forests and wooded areas provide key ecosystem services such as animal feed, timber, fruits and, regulation of soil and water cycles.
A turning point for drought management: upscaling the silvopastoral approach
15/11/2022
This white paper provides useful background for the GLF Climate Digital Conference: A turning point for drought management: Upscaling the silvopastoral approach in the Near East North Africa (NENA) region....
Grazing with trees - A silvopastoral approach to managing and restoring drylands
30/09/2022
The ‘Grazing with Trees’ report gives a thorough assessment of the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands with trees. It assesses and provides sound evidence on the benefits of applying an integrated landscape approach and utilizing farmers and pastoralists’ knowledge to halt desertification, increase resilience, and enhance food security under the actual changing scenario.
Doing no harm while doing good - Climate and conflict sensitivity in dryland humanitarian projects. Policy brief
30/08/2022
The Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus recognizes conflict as a threat multiplier to climate change and seeks to integrate conflict sensitivity into policies and actions around natural resources. Competition for natural resources in dryland areas often leads to conflict between host communities and displaced people.
Valuing, restoring and managing “presumed drylands”: Cerrado, Miombo–Mopane woodlands and the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau
26/05/2022
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...
Deploying a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach: Exploring, strengthening and reviving dryland ecosystems
18/10/2021
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.
Building climate-resilient dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral production systems: An approach for context-dependent economic, social and environmentally sustainable transformations
30/03/2021
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.
Blooming drylands – a practical approach for context-dependent economic, social and environmentally sustainable transformations
19/03/2021
This policy brief is intended to inform decision-makers of nine transformational actions to sustain dryland production systems under the impact of climate change. It highlights the relevance of the local...
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Trees, forests and land use in drylands - The first global assessment. Full reposrt
05/12/2019
Drylands cover 41 percent of the Earth's land surface. This publication presents the results of the first global assessment of trees, forests and land use in these lands. The assessment...
1/2
2027
5/2
2027
4th Drylands Global School
Kasane (Botswana), 01/02/2027 - 05/02/2027
The fourth Drylands Global School will bring together practitioners, policymakers, researchers, local and traditional knowledge holders and other experts from around the world to strengthen knowledge and capacities on Integrated Fire Management (IFM) in dryland landscapes.
25/8
2026
Drylands at Scale: Lessons from the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme for COP17
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Hybrid Event, 25/08/2026
Organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the Government of Mongolia | Partners: Government of Botswana, Kazakhstan, Kenya and Malawi, Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Fritjof Boerstler presented the main programme-level lessons emerging from five years of GEF-7 DSL-IP implementation a...
24/8
2026
Evidence to Impact: Accelerating Finance for Resilient Dryland Forests and Food Systems - COP 17
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Hybrid Event, 24/08/2026
Co-organized with the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security and the Billion Tree Fund
Fritjof Boerstler highlighted FAO’s experience through the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP), stressing that many effective approaches for sustainable forest management, agrosilvopastoral systems, restoration and gree...
19/8
2026
Invasive Species – Call to Action: Science and Evidence - COP 17
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Hybrid Event, 19/08/2026
Houria Djoudi highlighted how invasive species are transforming rangelands and dryland forests, reducing forage and other resources, undermining pastoral livelihoods and ecosystem functions, and increasing vulnerability to drought. She stressed the need for integrated approaches combining prevention, early detection, management and restoration, supported by stronger evidence and coordinated act...
20/8
2026
Dryland Forests, Rangelands and Agrosilvopastoral Systems (DReAMs) Dialogues: building on the Global Exchange for Drought Resilience - COP 17
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Hybrid Event, 20/08/2026
Event Co-Organized by FAO's COFO-WG; Spain; IDRA; UNCCD.
16/8
2026
Global Dialogue on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Approaches - COP 17
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), 16/08/2026
Co-Organized by: FAO's COFO-WG and DSL-IP; Mongolia Forest Services; UNCCD; IDRA.
The Global Dialogue brought together around 50 participants from countries, science, practice, pastoralist and Indigenous Peoples organizations, and partner institutions in a highly interactive workshop. Participants exchanged successful approaches, identified barriers to scaling, and developed prior...
20/4
2026
23/4
2026
Sustainable Woodfuel Forum 2026
Lusaka (Zambia), 20/04/2026 - 23/04/2026
The four-day Sustainable Woodfuel Forum 2026, hosted by the Government of Zambia in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and Self Help Africa has provided a regional platform for dialogue on how sustainable woodfuel systems can contribute to energy security, ecosystem resilience and rural development.
22/6
2026
25/6
2026
Global Private Sector Forum on Sustainable Rangelands
Gaborone (Botswana), Hybrid Event, 22/06/2026 - 25/06/2026
More than 120 representatives from governments, pastoralist organizations, producer groups, private companies, financial institutions, research institutions and development partners gathered in Gaborone, Botswana, from 22 to 25 June 2026 for the Global Private Sector Forum on Sustainable Rangelands.
16/8
2026
28/8
2026
FAO Drylands at COP 17
Hybrid Event, 16/08/2026 - 28/08/2026
The seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” This focus highlights the interconnected challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought, recognizing that restoring land and soil is e...
2/10
2026
Dryland forests for food, nutrition and resilience: launching collective action for change
Hybrid Event, 02/10/2026
This high-level event brought together ministers, senior government representatives, forest stewards and international partners to launch a collective agenda for scaling up action on dryland forests.
12/9
2023
15/9
2023
1st Drylands Summer School
Amman (Jordan), 12/09/2023 - 15/09/2023
The FAO Committee of Forestry Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems launched its first summer school, which trained champions on a transformative approach to building resilient drylands and boost dryland planning and work.
12/9
2024
15/9
2024
2nd Drylands Summer School
Nairobi (Kenya), 12/09/2024 - 15/09/2024
The FAO Committee on Forestry Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems (COFO WG) is working to build resilient drylands by training experts to create a shared vision and to advocate for transformative dryland policymaking and management. The Drylands School program represents the forefront of this effort through the building-up of community of knowledge and practic...
6/7
2025
10/7
2025
3rd Drylands Summer School
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), 06/07/2025 - 10/07/2025
The third edition of the Drylands School took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and focused on improving the governance of dryland forests, rangelands and agrosilvopastoral systems building on the experience of Mongolia, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, the Sustainable Forest Management Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme and other neighbouring...
7/7
2025
10/7
2025
Fourth Session of the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems
Hybrid Event, 07/07/2025 - 10/07/2025
The fourth session of the COFO Working Group will be held in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) from 7–10 July 2025. It will take place in parallel with the 3rd Drylands School.
10/9
2023
13/9
2023
Third Session of the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems
Jordan (Jordan), Hybrid Event, 10/09/2023 - 13/09/2023
The third session of the COFO WG will be held in the the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 10–13 September 2023. It will take place in parallel with the 26th Session of the Near East Forestry and Rang...
14/12
2022
FTN Webinar: MEV-CAM - an innovative method of upscaling change
14/12/2022
The Forest Technical Network organized a zoom webinar to talk about the MEV-CAM method.
17/11
2021
18/11
2021
Second Session of the COFO WG on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems - Much more than meets the eye: exploring, strengthening and reviving Drylands
Tanzania (Tanzania), 17/11/2021 - 18/11/2021
The Second Session of the COFO WG on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems provided a platform for members and observers to draw a strategic workplan for the new biennium (2022-2024). Officially hosted by Tanzania, this Session was held in a virtual capacity due to the current global challe...
16/7
2019
17/7
2019
Inaugural Session of the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems
Rome (Italy), 16/07/2019 - 17/07/2019
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 and dryland forests in drylands, and to better support these systems, FAO was asked to set up a