From the 2nd to the 3rd of June, the Global Landscapes Forum will host the first-ever digital conference focused entirely on Africa’s drylands and how integrative restoration practices can see them flourish once again.
Drylands are an important biome, occupying more than 41% of the global land area and comprising grasslands, agricultural lands, forests, and urban areas. Trees and forests in drylands generate a wealth of environmental services. They provide habitats for biodiversity, protect against water and wind erosion and desertification.
Restoring Africa’s Drylands
Africa’s drylands, particularly, are the birthplace of some of the world’s most extraordinary civilizations and species, from ancient kingdoms to wild elephants to “miracle grains” like millet and sorghum.
In a bid to tackle the different contributing factors to land degradation, the Global Landscapes Forum has put together the “Restoring Africa’s Drylands: Accelerating Action On the Ground” conference to be held before the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which runs from 2021 to 2030.
The conference will be held virtually and this means that anyone who is actively engaged in, interested in, and dedicated to the scaling of dryland restoration in Africa can participate. There is no better time for Africans to tell their own stories, especially as it relates to the massive loss of drylands and climate change which has often caused conflicts between farmers and herders, destroyed lives and livelihood, than now.
