FAO offers novel assessment of trees and forests in the world’s drylands Geospatial data and global network of partnerships produces new insights on more than 40 percent of the earth’s surface

Restoration needs along Africa's drylands have been mapped and quantified for the first time. A groundbreaking map of restoration opportunities along Africa's Great Green Wall has been launched at the UN climate change conference, based on collection and analysis of crucial land-use information to…

Today, many countries are at risk of running out of water, especially in the Arab region – the most water scarce region in the world – with water availability now cited as one of the greatest risks to business continuity and growth. We need a new paradigm to achieve water security - one that depends…

Drylands cover 40 percent of the Earth’s land surface and are home to more than 2 billion people. Despite climatic and environmental limitations, cultivable drylands play a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security for these people, and for the rest of the world. One-third of all the…

While aridity generally decreased in the drylands of Asia during 1948–2008, the change in aridity was opposite in the drylands of the American and African continents between 1948 and 1979 and 1980–2008. Specifically, drylands in the American continent showed a wetting tendency during 1948–1979 and a…

Erosion by wind is one of the principal processes associated with land degradation in drylands and is a significant concern to land managers and policymakers globally. In the drylands of North America, millions of tons of soil are lost to wind erosion annually. Of the 60 million ha in the United…

Water use has been increasing worldwide by about 1% per year since the 1980s, driven by a combination of population growth, socio-economic development and changing consumption patterns. Global water demand is expected to continue increasing at a similar rate until 2050, accounting for an increase of…

Results and tools developed by the Poverty- Environment Initiative (PEI). The Poverty- Environment Initiative (PEI) of the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme aims to support countries in implementing policies, instruments, plans and budgets that combine the…

This report describes an assessment of the projected future impacts of climate change, land use change and changes in water consumption on Europe’s water resources, as obtained using JRC’s LISFLOOD water resources model. This assessment is done within the framework of the PESETA III climate project…

According to the November issue of the JRC MARS Crop monitoring in Europe Bulletin, published yesterday, large parts of central Europe still experience dry soil conditions. Strong rainfall deficits hampered field preparations and sowing operations, with consequences on plant emergence and early crop…

North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab uprisings in late 2010. This movement affected all the countries in the region, albeit to varying degrees. And while protestors asked in unison for deep political and economic changes, the various governments in North Africa responded differently to their…

The trick to boosting crops in drought-prone, food-insecure areas of West Africa could be a ubiquitous native shrub that persists in the toughest of growing conditions. Growing these shrubs side-by-side with the food crop millet increased millet production by more than 900 percent, according to a…

A ground-breaking report by the University of Texas for USAID points out how climate hazards like cyclones, floods, wildfires, rainfall anomalies and chronic water scarcity relate to state fragility. Climate hazards put an enormous strain on the effectiveness and legitimacy in economics, politics…

Land Degradation Neutrality: Will Africa Achieve It? Institutional Solutions to Land Degradation and Restoration in Africa, chapter 5 from the recently published: "Climate Change and Multi-Dimensional Sustainability in African Agriculture"

Water is a human right - FUTURE OF WATER. As shortages worsen, safe drinking water and affordable sanitation is recognised by the United Nations as a human right

This paper summarizes WRI current understanding of water and security threats and their links to conflict, migration, and food insecurity. It is intended for professionals in the defense, diplomacy, and development fields. WRI reviews the key drivers behind growing water risk, describe and…

The report — Mechanized: Transforming Africa’s Agriculture Value Chains—summarizes the findings of a systematic analysis of what countries at the forefront of progress in mechanization have done right. It analyzes which policy decisions were taken and which interventions were implemented to…

Improvements in land use and management are needed at a global scale to tackle inter‐connected global challenges of population growth, poverty, migration, climate change, biodiversity loss, and degrading land and water resources. There are hundreds of technical options for improving the…

When people are forced to leave their homes, they usually also leave behind their means of economic activity. In their new location, they may not be able, or permitted, to work. This has wide-ranging implications. This issue includes 22 articles on the main feature theme of Economies: rights and…

This year’s theme for the World Day to Combat Desertification focuses on sustainable land management (SLM) as a way to regenerate economies, create jobs and revitalize communities. Under the slogan “Land has true value – Invest in it”. Over the years, IUCN has focused its efforts on advocating for…

The publication is devoted to the deserts of the world and desertification as a global phenomenon of land degradation. Encyclopedia contains more than 1000 articles, which describe the deserts of the world; Large lakes and transit rivers crossing the deserts; general terms on climate, vegetation…

A new study has quantified the economic impact of reducing avoidable food waste in Germany, Poland and Spain. The researchers modelled impacts on production, GDP and employment. The results show that reducing food waste from households has the greatest impact, although policy measures should be…

Adaptive water governance seeks to increase a social-ecological system’s adaptive capacity in the face of uncertainty and change. This is especially important in non-linear dryland systems that are already exposed to water scarcity and increasing degradation. Conservation of water ecosystem services…

Freshwater supplies have already seriously declined in 19 global hotspots – from China to the Caspian Sea – due to overuse, groundbreaking study show

In the first months of 2018 three studies recently published by the World Bank (WB),the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) prominently addressed the link between degradation of land, water stress…