Africa's drylands: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Africa is extremely dry, 43 % of the continent's landmass is classified as drylands and is under continuous threat from erosion and nutrient mining. Climate change may still aggravate this situation. Several major regions are impacted and more than 40 % of the continent's populations, 268 million people live in dryland areas. Dryland people are resilient having developed adaptation strategies to cope with the very variable environmental and climatic conditions. Yet, drylands are often seen as non-productive lands and their importance and contributions to the livelihoods of millions of people are not given sufficient attention. The perception exists that little can be done to sustainably raise productivity. However, Africa's drylands have high potential for development and can provide multiple goods and services. Within the EU-INCO Agricultural Innovation in Dryland Africa (AIDA) project, 22 case studies were evaluated and surveys were conducted among policymakers and researchers to identify key drivers for success and policy options that can promote investments in Africa's drylands. Results show that there is need for harmonization of policies and interventions in drylands which should reflect realities that dryland people face; ensure compatibility with land tenure issues; reduce resource-based conflicts and pave the way for more trade exchanges. Traditional users and owners of the drylands must be involved in policy development, programme planning and research design. Research in support of drylands agriculture should be participatory and reflect the diversity of indigenous adaptation strategies. Communication is key to success and for dissemination of existing practices for the development of local innovation. (Texte intégral)