THE CHALLENGE
Combating desertification
Desertification is “Degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas”.
Although there is generally a focus on soil degradation, desertification is closely linked to other forms of environmental degradation, such as deforestation, salinization, loss of biodiversity and destruction of habitat.
- 10-20% of drylands are subject to desertification
- Desertification exacerbates poverty, creates food and water insecurity and aggravates conflict
- Global cost of desertification: 42 billion USD annually
- Estimated cost of preventing it: 2.4 billion USD
Drivers of Desertification
- Poor understanding of dryland ecology
- Low consultation with dryland resource managers
- Weak tenure arrangements and governance
- Unsupportive policies and investments
- Weak implementation of favourable policies
- Human poverty and changing population dynamics
- Climate change and climatic uncertainty
- Fragmentation of landscapes
THE SOLUTION
Land rights and sustainable land management
The right to make and enforce a decision over the management of land (or other natural resources) is often very weak in drylands. This weakness contributes to poor management through breakdown in communal management and encouragement of irrational resource management strategies. There are at least five levels of Land Rights:
- Right of access to a resource (rights to non-subtractive benefits)
- Right to withdrawal (rights to obtain products of a resource)
- Right of management (authorizes the holder to regulate use)
- Right to exclusion (to determine who will or will not have resource right)
- The right of alienation (the right to sell or lease the rights)
The right to manage and to exclude others from a resource (whether communally or individually) is a key factor in whether land managers can sustainably manage their land.
Strengthening governance
Governance is more than government: it is about the interaction between the State and its Citizens. Governance is about who has the Power and the Responsibility to make and to implement decisions. Governance therefore relates closely to the rules (laws and other norms), institutions and processes in decision making. These elements of governance can be monitored for their transparency, predictability (“rule of law”), accountability, participatory nature and other principles.
Strengthening participation: Community Environmental Management Planning
- Enabling natural resource users to plan, manage and control their resources
- Strengthening partnerships between communities and government
- Embedding principles of participation in natural resource planning
- Promoting gender equity in community and government dialogue
Securing Rights and Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods in Jordan
The project in Jordan aims to address severe degradation of dryland ecosystems especially in the semi arid parts of the country (Mafrak and Zarqa governorates). The specific site for the project forms part of the severely degraded and polluted Zarqa river basin which is home to about 65% of the national population. The project focuses on restoration and management of this basin which is of high priority to the Jordan population.
Project Site
Photo: IUCN Jordan
Securing Rights and Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods in Sudan
The project in Sudan focuses on the arid and fragile ecosystem of Eastern Sudan (Kassala and Gedaref States), an area which has supported Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees for several years. These two states have been greatly impacted by environmental and social factors. Dry forests are key environmental resources in Eastern Sudan and are affected by degradation and agricultural encroachment. The project in Sudan aims to strengthen land tenure systems to reduce potential conflicts between agrarian and pastoral communities and to ensure equitable benefits from restored natural resources. Action in the project sites will focus on rural communities and their landscapes so as to support the most vulnerable groups (women, marginalized, pastoralists) to improve their livelihoods through more secure rights, benefits from restoration and markets, and more generally in their empowerment to better make and negotiate their case at all levels. Rural communities may include more settled farming communities or more nomadic pastoralists, or a combination of both, which makes taking a landscape approach all the more important.
Children looking for firewood
Photo: GDI
Securing Rights and Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods in Mali
The project in Mali aims to address desertification and alleviate poverty through a holistic approach based on the wider landscape and the needs of the local people. It is being implemented in a threatened forest area that provides valuable services and products (firewood, timber, fruit, forage and other non timber forest products) to neighbouring villages and stakeholders including pastoralists. The target groups for the project include small scale farmers and pastoralists in Mopti region. The project will focus on restoration activities and capacity building for the improved management of the Kelka forest and adjacent dryland landscape with a focus on capacity building and sharing of experiences and lessons learned.
Securing Rights and Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods in Botswana
The project in Botswana aims to address severe land degradation and poverty. The project is being implemented in the drier part of botswana where community based natural resource management (CBNRM) has not been a success and it targets local dryland communities. The project focuses on land tenure arrangements, communal rangeland management and natural resource products in the arid and semi arid area.
