The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, celebrated on 17 June, highlights the importance of fixing damaged ecosystems to mitigate against climate change, and reminds the general public that restoring degraded lands helps biodiversity to recover. Whereas three quarters of Earth’s ice-free land has been altered by Humans to meet an ever-growing demand of food, raw materials, highway and homes, different COST Actions tackle topics as important as drylands, water resources management and sustainable agriculture, thus trying to bring on the table new recommendations, new practices and new policies to better protect and manage our land in a sustainable manner.
This years’ Day to Combat Diversification and Drought, under the auspices of “Restoration. Land. Recovery”, is focusing on turning degraded land into healthy lands, and in restoring habitats. Dryland ecosystems, for example, cover over one third of the planet’s land area and are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation, climate variability and political instability, but not only. Indeed, as a consequence of climate change, dryland and their inhabitants – often some of the poorest people on Earth – are facing complex challenges regarding the development of their economies, of productive agricultural systems, and of the meet of people’s basic needs: food, education, healthcare or energy.
Managing the natural resources of drylands to turn them into liveable and sustainable lands
COST Action “Drylands Facing Change: Interdisciplinary Research on Climate Change, Food Insecurity, Political Instability” is trying to change the deal by bringing together several research disciplines with European, International and African Institutions to develop long-term solutions for drylands, currently among the world’s most vulnerable areas. The Action assesses that dryland surrounding Europe, such as Sahelian and East Africa, or West and Central Asia, are suffering from climate variability, from dependence on food imports which results in price fluctuations, from agriculture limitations or from lack of long-term water storages, to only name a few.
As a pluri-disciplinary network, the Action tackles land degradation, erosion and desertification by adopting new ways to manage natural resources. What’s more, lasting solutions for agriculture, food and water supply can be found by drawing on the vast history of local and indigenous knowledge which has allowed them to live in extreme dry climates over millennia. Finally, in achieving better research coordination between disciplines and across institutional boundaries, the network aims to develop long-term solutions for dryland areas by focusing topics such as climate, food security, human development but also conflict or insecurity.
Understand the critical zone to help better manage water resources
As well as restoring the land, having access to fresh water is crucial for sustainable development. Drought is known to cause more deaths and people displace than any other natural disaster. By 2025, it is believed than almost 2 billion people will experience absolute water scarcity and that two third of the world will be living under water-stressed conditions. The “critical zone” – Earth’ skin composed of rock, soil, water, air and living organisms, and that extends from groundwater to the canopy – plays a critical and vital role in managing water resources.
COST’s Action “WATer isotopeS on the critical zONe: from groundwater to plant transpiration” (WATSON) is searching for evidence-based solutions to better understand water storage and transfer in the critical zone, a place where “rock meet life” and of which depends water quality and quantity. The network’s study is particularly focusing on the use of water isotopes in groundwater recharge and in vegetation water uptake and transpiration. By creating a platform for researchers and complementary disciplines across Europe, WATSON’s ultimate goal is to build a capacity that will provide tangible and sustainable outputs and recommendations to support international agencies responsible for water resources management.
Further reading
World Environment Day 2021 – COST Actions to Reimagine Recreate and Restore
Conserving and monitoring genetic diversity will benefit nature and society
Highlighting Citizen Science on Earth Day
WORLD WILDLIFE DAY – COST Actions on forest management and sustaining ecosystems.