Drylands are critical for global population. It is home to one in every three of world's people, nearly half of the livestock and 44 per cent of food systems. But some 20-35 per cent of them are degraded.
Aiming to transform agriculture in some of the world’s most arid regions, CGIAR, a global leader in agricultural research, has launched its 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD).
The initiative, spearheaded by CGIAR centres International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), provides a roadmap to enhance food security, conserve biodiversity and build resilient livelihoods for the 2.7 billion people inhabiting drylands, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Unveiled at the 16th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) in Riyadh, the GSRD builds on five decades of research in dryland regions. Traditionally viewed as fragile ecosystems, these areas hold immense potential for climate-smart agricultural innovation that can be scaled globally, according to a joint media statement by the organisations.
GSRD introduces pioneering solutions tailored to tackle the challenges of water scarcity, land degradation and desertification — issues exacerbated by climate change.
Technologies such as solar-powered agrivoltaics, advanced agroforestry, improved livestock feeding practices and breeding climate-resilient crops like barley, lentils, chickpeas and cacti form the cornerstone of this strategy.
By leveraging CGIAR’s combined expertise, the organisations aim to deliver transformative, context-specific, lasting solutions to secure the livelihoods of communitties dependent on these vital but fragile ecosystems, said Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR’s executive-managing Director, during the launch event.
Stanford Blade, director general-interim of ICRISAT, highlighted that the strategy reframes drylands not as areas of scarcity but as hubs of untapped potential for resilience. “As climate change continues to threaten global food systems, the models of resilience we, along with our partners, have developed in drylands will be indispensable to support the world's most vulnerable communities,” he said.
This strategy is not just a roadmap but a call to action for the development community, said Aly Abousabaa, ICARDA’s director general and CGIAR’s regional director for central and west Asia and north Africa. “This groundbreaking effort is an essential lifeline to global dryland communities confronting the accelerating impacts of climate change, the defining challenge of our time.”
Why GSRD matters
Drylands are on the frontlines of climate change, warming at rates 20-40 per cent higher than other regions. With 70 per cent of the world’s hungry living in environmentally fragile and conflict-affected areas, transforming dryland agriculture is crucial to addressing global food insecurity.
The strategy outlines five key areas of focus: Adapting agrifood systems to climate change, conserving biodiversity, sustainably managing soil and water resources, promoting healthy diets, and fostering inclusive development. These efforts aim to empower dryland communities while contributing to global agricultural resilience.
The GSRD is the product of extensive collaboration among national research organisations, governments, and private sector partners. Its launch underscores CGIAR’s commitment to uniting its 15 research centres in a cohesive effort to address one of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.
As drylands expand due to climate change, the solutions pioneered under the GSRD offer hope for sustainable agricultural practices that can benefit not only the dryland regions but also the global community in the face of environmental change.