Natural resources and ecologies

Ecologies and natural resources - like land, water, livestock, and wildlife - vary greatly across drylands in Africa and the Near East. These areas are affected by climate variability and unequal distribution of water resources. However, they also hold great promise, with dryland pastoral communities increasingly diversifying into alternative ways to earn a living and participating in the community-based conservation of natural resources.

We will address evidence gaps in natural resource management in dryland regions with the aim of improving programming and policy-making to build the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in these areas.

Here we present some recommended resources on the theme of Natural Resources and Ecologies specially selected by SPARC’s experts:

• Rangeland ecology in 'The impact of the International Livestock Research Institute'

• The pastoral farming system: Balancing between tradition and transition in 'Farming systems and food security in Africa: Priorities for science and policy under global change'

• Ten golden rules for reforestation to optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood in 'Global Change Biology'