A DRAFT Vision for the Drylands By 2030, the drylands of Africa and the men, women and children who manage them will be recognized and valued for their critical contribution to the sustainable livelihoods of rural and urban communities and provision of ecosystem services and global public goods including the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Enlightened (sensitized, educated, informed) global, regional, national and local decision makers, leaders and institutions, investors and donors, and research, education and development actors will be aligned across levels and among sectors and proactively committed long-term to the policies, practices and practices for achieving sustainable food, nutrition and energy producing landscapes that are socially and economically equitable and culturally appropriate.

The natural resource base will characterized by effective water cycles, increased soil health (and cover), biological diversity and sustainable energy capture and production through the integrated management of appropriate indigenous and new varieties of crops and grasses, livestock, trees, and wildlife and optimised to benefit the people they support (sustainable livelihoods, nutrition, markets). Women and men including youth and elders in pastoral, agro-pastoral and agricultural communities will be competent, confident and committed; organized to implement and enjoy equitable benefit sharing; and have food, nutrition, energy, land and personal security to support thriving livelihoods. Researchers, educators, extension and development practitioners and the market sector (as service providers) will work in synchrony with local and national actors to identify and address critical/relevant current and emerging knowledge gaps with the information, tools, technologies, and evidence to ‘future-proof’ the people and landscapes of the drylands.