Riyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the global leader in agricultural research, has launched its visionary 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) to transform farming in the world’s driest regions and ensure sustainable food systems for generations to come.
The GSRD, collaboratively developed by CGIAR centers under the leadership of ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) and ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), provides a comprehensive, science-driven roadmap to improve the lives of some 2.7 billion people who call the drylands home with a particular focus on Asia and Africa.
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Drylands, traditionally seen as fragile ecosystems, are key to developing climate-smart agricultural models that can be scaled globally. These regions support 44% of global agriculture and nearly half of the world’s livestock.
A 50-year Legacy
Building on 50 years of dryland research, the GSRD leverages innovations from CGIAR’s 15 global research centers and partners and provides 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.
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Speaking at COP16 in Riyadh, CGIAR Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi said the new strategy builds on CGIAR’s rich legacy of impact, uniting all fifteen centers in a stronger, more integrated effort to tackle the challenges of drylands.
“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,” said Elouafi.
Regions of Potential
Stanford Blade, Director General-Interim of ICRISAT said that drylands are not just regions of scarcity but immense potential. “This strategy brings forward a wealth of knowledge and research from our shared 50 years of experience, demonstrating that drylands, often overlooked, possess an untapped potential for resilience. “As climate change continues to threaten global food systems, the models of resilience we, along with our partners, have developed in drylands will be indispensable to support the world’s most vulnerable communities,” he added.
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Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA and CGIAR’s Regional Director Central and West Asia and North Africa, said the strategy was also a call to action for the broader development community. “The CGIAR Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands is a game-changing venture targeting critical challenges like water scarcity, land degradation, and desertification. This groundbreaking effort is an essential lifeline to global dryland communities confronting the accelerating impacts of climate change, the defining challenge of our time,” added Abousabaa.
Why Does It Matter?
Climate Change Resilience: Drylands are experiencing warming rates 20–40% higher than other regions, making them frontline battlegrounds against climate change.
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Food Security: With 70% of the world’s hungry people living in areas affected by conflict and environmental fragility, transforming drylands is critical to alleviating global hunger.
Global Impact: As climate change continues to expand arid zones, the lessons and solutions developed for drylands today will be essential for addressing tomorrow’s challenges.
5 Key Opportunities for Drylands:
- Optimizing agrifood systems to adapt to climate change by developing climate-smart crop varieties, introducing innovative breeding technology, and supporting climate adaptation in livestock and aquatic systems
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- Conserving and using biodiversity to support resilient ecosystems and communities by introducing mixed cropping systems, encouraging farming system diversification, and harnessing Indigenous and specifically women’s expertise on biodiversity
- Managing soil, land, and water systems to sustainably intensify production by developing and promoting regenerative and conservation agriculture, facilitating rangeland restoration, and using innovative irrigation technology based on solar-powered agrivoltaics and drip-irrigation
- Ensuring access to sustainable healthy diets to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by promoting nutrient-dense diverse crops such as millets, sorghum, pulses, legumes, roots, nuts, seed and leaves, and animal-sourced foods
- Promoting inclusive, equitable development to nurture safety, agency, and peace
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The GSRD was developed through extensive consultations with national research organizations, governments, private sector partners, and civil society, ensuring its alignment with the specific needs of different dryland regions. As the world faces increasing climate shocks, CGIAR’s GSRD aims to position dryland agriculture at the heart of global climate adaptation strategies.
