Drylands make up about 43 percent of the region’s land surface, account for about 75 percent of the area used for agriculture, and are home to about 50 percent of the population, including many poor.
Involving complex interactions among many factors, vulnerability in drylands is rising, jeopardizing the livelihood for of millions. Due to complex interactions among many different factors, vulnerability in drylands is high and is rising, jeopardizing the long-term livelihood prospects for hundreds of millions of people. Climate change, which is expected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, will exacerbate this challenge.
Most of the people living in the drylands depend on natural resource-based livelihood activities, such as herding and farming, but the capability of these activities to provide stable and adequate incomes is eroding. Rapid population growth is putting pressure on a deteriorating resource base and creating conditions under which extreme weather events, unexpected spikes in global food and fuel prices, or other exogenous shocks can easily precipitate full-blown humanitarian crises and fuel violent social conflicts. Forced to address urgent short-term needs, many households have resorted to unsustainable practices, resulting in severe land degradation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
As suggested in the recent report on Confronting Drought in Africa’s Drylands: Opportunities for Enhancing Resilience, there is need for a harmonized framework that integrates multiple hazards including droughts, floods, and fires to build the resilience of ecosystems and livelihoods in drylands. This follow-up study is expected to trigger further research and dialogue on how to best integrate fire management into the landscape approach in Africa’s drylands.