The world’s drylands are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on our planet. Desertification and land degradation are affecting huge land areas, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of people. Unsustainable management practices in dryland cultivation and pastoralism have given rise to widespread soil erosion, reduction of the biological production of soils, reduction of vegetation cover, and depletion of surface and groundwater resources. In the context of global climate change, it is expected that drylands will suffer from higher frequencies and longer periods of drought, which will further threaten future improvements in human well being in these areas. However, positive examples of managing drylands in a sustainable way exist. To put scientific knowledge at the service of improving dryland livelihood systems was the overarching aim of the Sustainable Management of Marginal Drylands (SUMAMAD) project. The project investigated dryland degradation and possible solutions to combat desertification in nine study sites spanning from Northern Africa to Eastern Asia. Research teams from China (with two study sites), Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria, Tunisia and Uzbekistan, and involving the expertise of two Belgian universities, carried out in-depth studies on dryland ecosystems which were coupled with socioeconomic analyses with the overall aim to improve livelihood conditions of dryland dwellers.