Although the name “drylands” can diminish people’s appreciation of them, under different guises this land is often well-known and valued. Few doubt the importance to biodiversity of the world’s savannahs for example, or the value of fine fibers such as cashmere and alpaca wool, which are produced on dry grasslands. In countries of Central Asia, southern Europe and in the United States the drylands are acknowledged for their important cultural heritage. Yet in some countries drylands are equated with low productivity and they are starved of investment.