Dryland restoration should be facilitated and enhanced through dynamic and participatory decision making processes. Progressive and reflective learning drive change in decision makers (in communities and in government) towards a better understanding of why institutional arrangements, seedling quality and management matter to successful dryland restoration.

Restoration attempts should be evidence based, and rigorous research is needed in: (i) tree planting techniques, including private sector participatory models and community engagement; (ii) sustainable and affordable tree establishment techniques to improve tree survival rates; (iii) drastically increasing post-planting care to improve plant development and their longer-term functions to people and the landscape; and (iv) how best to manage the trade-offs between locking up land and forest in exclosures and providing sustainable livelihoods for nearby communities.