The CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy For Resilient Drylands – A Bold Vision Unveiled

4th December, UNCCD COP16, Riyadh: We are thrilled to launch the CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD), a groundbreaking initiative to revolutionize agriculture to deliver food security and livelihood resilient for communities living in the world’s driest regions.

Spearheaded by ICARDA and ICRISAT, the GSRD aims to transform the lives of the 2.7 billion people who call drylands home, while focusing on Africa and Asia. Traditionally viewed as fragile, drylands are emerging as key frontiers in climate adaptation, offering an abundance of climate-adapted biodiversity and technology, while already supporting 44% of global agriculture and nearly half the world’s livestock.

Five Decades of Innovation

Leveraging over 50 years of pioneering agri-research, GSRD draws on the expertise of CGIAR global research centers and dryland partners in a united effort to deliver cutting-edge solutions to enhance food security, conserve biodiversity, and build resilient livelihoods by delivering groundbreaking agri-research solutions such as solar-powered agrivoltaics, innovative agroforestry and livestock feed practices, soil improvement and desalination solutions, as well as improved breeding technology for climate-smart crops such as barley, lentil, chickpea, soybean or cactus.  

"By combining our expertise, we will deliver more innovative, context-specific, and lasting solutions to secure the livelihoods of communities that rely on these vital but fragile ecosystems," 

~Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR Executive Managing Director

A Lifeline for Vulnerable Communities

Eng. Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA and CGIAR’s Regional Director of Central and West Asia and North Africa, said the strategy was also a call to action for the broader development community to not only address climate change but also support global agricultural research as a key component in climate action.

"The CGIAR Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands is a game-changing venture targeting critical challenges like water scarcity, land degradation, and desertification. It is an essential lifeline for dryland communities confronting the accelerating impacts of climate change, the defining challenge of our time."

~ Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA and CGIAR’s Regional Director CWANA

Drylands: A Source of Resilience, Not Scarcity

A common approach is to view global drylands as vulnerable and helpless. On the contrary, these hot and arid regions are home to an abundance of unique ecosystems, biodiversity, and technology, already adapted to harsh conditions, making drylands a valuable climate-action resource as the world heats and dries up. The GSRD takes care to integrate these assets as well as mix appropriate traditional dryland approaches into cutting-edge climate-smart agriculture.

"This strategy brings forward a wealth of knowledge, demonstrating that drylands possess an untapped potential for resilience. The models of resilience we’ve developed will be indispensable in supporting the world’s most vulnerable communities as climate change threatens global food systems." 

~ Dr. Stanford Blade, Interim Director General of ICRISAT,

Drylands and global stability

However, ensuring drylands have the means to produce enough food is key to global stability. Drylands are experiencing warming rates 20–40% higher than other regions, placing them at the forefront of the climate crisis. They are also home to 70% of the world’s hungry, making the transformation of dryland agriculture essential to alleviating global hunger. As arid zones expand, hunger, conflict, and migration rise, making the innovations developed for drylands critical in addressing future global challenges.

Five Pillars of the GSRD

Climate-Smart Agrifood Systems: Developing climate-resilient crops, livestock, and aquaculture.

Biodiversity Conservation: Supporting ecosystem resilience through mixed cropping and Indigenous knowledge, especially from women.

Sustainable Land and Water Management: Promoting regenerative agriculture and solar-powered irrigation.

Access to Nutritious Diets: Enhancing food security with nutrient-dense crops like sorghum, pulses, and millet.

Inclusive Development: Ensuring equity, safety, and peace for marginalized communities.   

A Global Collaborative Effort

The GSRD was developed through extensive consultations with sister CGIAR centers, national research organizations, governments, and civil society. CGIAR’s unified approach ensures the strategy is tailored to the specific needs of each region, positioning dryland agriculture at the center of global climate adaptation strategies.

With GSRD, we reinforce our commitment to transforming drylands from vulnerable ecosystems into thriving hubs of innovation and resilience, ensuring a sustainable future for millions.

EXPLORE THE GSRD

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