This volume provides new insights and conceptual understandings of the human and gender dimension of vulnerability in relation to the dynamics of tenure reforms in the dryland forests of Asia and Africa. The book analyzes the interaction between biophysical factors such as climate variability (e.g. droughts) with socio-political processes (e.g. new institutions and authority) and gender dimensions at various temporal and spatial scales. The book presents a number of case studies based on empirical research on forest tenure reform and it consequences on forest-dependent people. In particular, it highlights the interaction between legal, policy and institutional reform and the inclusion and/or exclusion of local people from deriving benefits from forest resources in the drylands. The book focuses on the questions how land tenure reform and natural resource governance impacts upon marginal groups (along individual, collective and gender dimensions); how do forest-dependent people prepare for and respond to vulnerability; and what is the effect of forest tenure policy reform on the human rights, gender and citizenship issues in relation to the use and management of forest resources and on conflict in forest zones. These issues are approached from the perspective of marginalized groups (gender and social diversity such as indigenous peoples and herders) in vulnerable dryland forests with a high risk of being exposed to climate variability.

With climate change impacts already felt in the world’s drylands, there is an urgent need for action, at various scales and initiated by different stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of food production and livelihoods in these regions in the coming decades. There is also the need to rapidly establish baselines, assess and start monitoring progress on sustainability, emerging as result of the action taken. To aid in this effort, this paper provides a short list of expected transformations (under each of the three sustainability pillars) for guiding the planning and implementation of policy, governance and practice-level actions. Gender and indigenous people’s rights and knowledge will be considered cross-cutting issues. The expected transformations will be shared with and agreed by dryland experts and practitioners and will be complemented with additional relevant information sources and indicators. However, it is recommended that national and subnational governments, programmes, projects and individual practitioners and experts define the indicators they will use for measuring their own progress towards the expected transformations, based on the availability of data and specific national and local conditions.The paper will also present case studies portraying actions that have led to progress in sustainability and are directly related to the expected transformations. A related policy brief Blooming Drylands will complement the paper and offer practical recommendations on how policymakers can reach the expected transformations.

This literature review explores how political, economic and resource management policies and programs can reduce forest degradation and increase the contribution of forest goods and services to sustainable livelihood strategies. In Ethiopia, studies indicate that forest dependency is strong throughout the country, but the importance of forest income varies across different regions and wealth categories. Research suggests that improving forest product market governance is key to strengthening forest livelihood resiliency. Recent experiments with forest governance devolution have shown mixed results in terms of improving forest conditions and livelihoods. Smallholder land certification has met with considerable success, whereas participatory forest management schemes have positive ecological outcomes but fall short in terms of livelihood gains. In South Sudan, civil war has limited the depth and scope of research on dryland forests and livelihoods. Food security analyses indicate that the importance of forest income varies by region and season. Markets are poorly developed and forest governance systems are weak in many parts of the country. Key threats to forest livelihoods in both countries include: shifting climatic conditions, large-scale population movements, large-scale land acquisitions and weakened governance institutions; and in South Sudan, continuing violent conflict. In Ethiopia, research and policy reform should focus on the relationship between forest rights devolution, livelihoods, forest management practices and forest conditions as well as on the impacts of demographic change on forest-based livelihoods, forest management and forest cover. In South Sudan, research should focus on documenting the impacts of conflict on forest-based livelihoods with an view to structuring humanitarian aid programs in ways that mitigate the negative impacts.

Drylands cover 41 percent of the Earth's land surface. This publication presents the results of the first global assessment of trees, forests and land use in these lands. The assessment breaks new methodological ground: it relies on the visual interpreation of freely available satellite images, carried out by more than 200 experts in a series of regional workshops. Using a tool called Open Foris ollect Earth, developed by FAO in collaboration with Google, participants gathered and analysed information for mrore than 200 000 sample plots worldwide. For each region, the report summarizes the distribution of forests, other wooded land and other land uses including grasslands, croplands, built-up areas and barren land, across all drylands and by aridity zone. It also estimates tree canopy cover, shrub cover, forest type and presence of trees outside forest. Indicatng that the global drylands contain more than one-quarter of the world's forest area, and that trees are present on 31 percent of the world's dryland area, the report provides a baseline for future monitoring and will support countries in their efforts to identify appropriate investments for the restoration and sustainable management of drylands.

By combining the analysis of biotic and abiotic components of terrestrial ecosystems, this book synthesizes material on arid and semiarid landscapes, which was previously scattered among various books and journal articles. It focuses on water-limited ecosystems, which are highly sensitive to fluctuations in hydrologic conditions and, in turn, play an important role in affecting the regional water cycle. Intended as a tool for scientists working in the area of the earth and environmental sciences, this book presents the basic principles of eco-hydrology as well as a broad spectrum of topics and advances in this research field. Written by authors with diverse areas of expertise who work in arid areas around the world, the contributions describe the various interactions between the biological and physical dynamics in dryland ecosystems, ranging from basic processes in the soil-vegetation-climate system, to landscape-scale hydrologic and geomorphic processes, ecohydrologic controls on soil nutrient dynamics, and multiscale analyses of disturbances and patterns

Many people worldwide lack adequate access to clean water to meet basic needs, and many important economic activities, such as energy production and agriculture, also require water. Climate change is likely to aggravate water stress. As temperatures rise, ecosystems and the human, plant, and animal communities that depend on them will need more water to maintain their health and to thrive. Forests and trees are integral to the global water cycle and therefore vital for water security – they regulate water quantity, quality, and timing and provide protective functions against (for example) soil and coastal erosion, flooding, and avalanches. Forested watersheds provide 75 percent of our freshwater, delivering water to over half the world’s population. The purpose of A Guide to Forest–Water Management is to improve the global information base on the protective functions of forests for soil and water. It reviews emerging techniques and methodologies, provides guidance and recommendations on how to manage forests for their water ecosystem services, and offers insights into the business and economic cases for managing forests for water ecosystem services. Intact native forests and well-managed planted forests can be a relatively cheap approach to water management while generating multiple co-benefits. Water security is a significant global challenge, but this paper argues that water-centered forests can provide nature-based solutions to ensuring global water resilience.