Dryland Journey

1. Dryland Journey Summary Journey Findings Presented by Jonathan Davies

2. Change • Implicit (not explicit) in a lot of presentations and posters • Volatility/uncertainty of drylands not well reflected • Many profound changes in drylands, but not recognised for being part of broader dryland-specific development challenges (low investment, marginalisation, governance, science failures etc.)

3. Risk • Weakening governance – particularly highlighted through indigenous peoples discussions • Population growth, wealth creation and food demand – this is the principle risk to drylands • Demand for scale – pilots are over, but drylands were forgotten

4. Stewardship • Global Soil Protocol under the UNCCD • Dryland Initiative needs to make greater effort to mobilise the union for implementation of CCD • Stronger networking across all branches of the union – members, all commissions, all thematic programmes • Resource rights and governance are at the root of most dryland challenges. • A lot of emphasis now on community approaches • IUCN must play its role in scaling this up (esp. knowledge exchange and capacity building) • Must steer parks congress to address PA guidelines to better recognise ICCAs – opportunity with relation to Temperate Grasslands

5. Resilience • Defines drylands – but not reflected well in presentations seen here • Still a tendency to promote new technologies rather than restore/reform systems of governance • Resilience – why are we assuming it is a good thing? • Tension between ecosystem resilience and social resilience • Multiple stressors – don’t get fixated on climate change, even though that is where the money is