All four scenarios of the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment Desertification Synthesis Report (2005) show a likely increase in land degradation in drylands that is also known as desertification. Unsustainable land use leads to the degradation of goods and services provided by dryland ecosystems. These include the degradation of food and water resources, fuel and construction material as well as medicinal plants. The reduced availability of these resources and/or any changes to their quality effect human health.
The interaction between human health and the degradation of natural resources in drylands will be exemplified by a case study from the Sahel of the Republic of Sudan, where during the past decades, changes to land tenure, and continuous overexploitation of woody vegetation and grazing lands have led to considerable desertification. Recurrent drought events have further accelerated the pace of desertification, thus, reinforcing its impacts on human health.
Field research underlines the need for integrated and participatory-based approaches to combat desertification and its effects on human health. In September 2013, the 11th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP-11) in Windhoek, Namibia, decided to establish a Science-Policy Interface. At the same time, COP-11 also encouraged the formation of regional science and technology platforms that can provide the Science-Policy Interface with regional scientific expertise (ICCD/COP(11)/23/ADD.1. 2013). These platforms would also enable civil society to effectively enter the international science-policy dialogues to combat desertification, and thereby strengthen advice of the scientific community by integrating regional needs and realities, thus also health issues, into implementation measures to combat desertification.