Study Examines Presence and Extent of Forests in Drylands
The study's preliminary findings - the full report will be launched later this year - show that trees are present with hugely varying densities on almost one-third of the world's 6.1-billion hectares of drylands, which cover an area more than twice the size of Africa. Almost 18% of this area contains forests. An estimated 2-billion people, 90% of whom are in developing countries, live in drylands. Recent studies have indicated the need to restore these areas to cope with the effects of drought, desertification and land degradation. In particular, water availability in drylands is expected to decline further due to changes in climate and land use. Poor people living in remote rural areas will be most vulnerable to food shortages which, combined with violence and social upheaval, are already leading to forced migration in dryland regions in Africa and western Asia.
Ollivier Girard/CIFOR