Globally, 11% of rain-fed cropland and 14% of pastureland have been affected by droughts over the past 40 years. These figures, taken from the latest FAO report, were presented by Nora Berrahmouni, deputy director of the organisation’s Land and Water Department, at the 6th edition of Désertif’actions, taking place in Djerba from 25 to 28 March. “If we are in a scenario where global warming reaches +4°C, we will see seven times more drought,” warned the specialist during a round-table discussion on the global impact of droughts and their consideration in policy-making.

The consequences of these extreme weather events are manifold and affect everything from food supplies for people and animals to economic activity and ecosystem diversity. “When livestock are decimated because there is no more water, herders are of course affected, but so are those who consume their products, such as milk,” pointed out Harouna Abarchi, president of the Nigerien association A2N (Global Alliance for the IYRP). “The environment is also altered because animals carry seeds in their faeces, which helps diversify the local flora, and during times of drought, this disappears.” Dorothy Amwata, a Kenyan academic, for her part, highlighted the vulnerability of women and people with disabilities, who are even less equipped than others to cope.

Knowing how to adapt species

Yet solutions do exist. This is what Sahbi Mahjoub, founder of Sadira, a company specialising in arboriculture, explained. “We have 700 hectares of fruit trees spread from north to south across Tunisia, and with climate change, the increasing frequency of droughts and floods, we’ve had to completely reinvent ourselves.” This reinvention involves adapting the species. The expert is therefore promoting the cultivation of tomatoes irrigated with osmosis water in the Gabès region. “One hectare can provide a very good living for around ten families,” he emphasised. One of his next challenges is to develop the cultivation of raspberries and blueberries using new varieties. Their cold requirements are very low, and they could be irrigated with desalinated water.

Whilst the entrepreneur believes that one solution to drought lies in settling communities through economic activities that provide a livelihood, Harouna Abarchi, whose country relies heavily on livestock farming, advocates for mobility. “Herders must be able to move from a less fertile area to a more fertile one, which allows the land to regenerate,” he emphasised. Like Sahbi Mahjoub, he believes in adapting livestock breeds. “ In a ‘very scientific’ way, herders will favour cattle breeds that perform well to facilitate transhumance,” he explained. For Dorothy Amwata, whatever these practices may be, they must absolutely be considered over the long term. In her view, “We need to move from responding to drought to preventing risks through long-term measures.”

Preventing the risk of drought rather than managing crises

This view is widely shared by Jean-Luc Chotte, a researcher at the IRD and chair of the French Scientific Committee on Desertification (CSFD). “Drought should not be seen as a crisis, but as a systemic risk,” he explained. “Its impact is linked to the vulnerability of both people and ecosystems, depending on whether or not they are prepared for this type of risk.” This “preparedness” involves building resilience – at both the population and ecosystem levels – which enables risks to be anticipated in such a way as to make systems less, or even more, vulnerable. It can only be built up over the long term.

“We have the knowledge, we have the institutional frameworks at international level, and we have the political will, but we’re not making enough progress,” lamented the expert. There are several reasons for this, including the high degree of fragmentation within these institutional frameworks, as well as the difficulty of taking action simultaneously across very different areas. Harouna Inoussa, head of the Nigerien commune of Hamdollaye, which comprises 78 villages and 40 hamlets near Niamey, thus highlights the need for land reform. “The majority of our farmers work on inherited fields, which are shared among all the descendants and are too small to allow them to earn a living.” But tackling this issue alone is not enough: we must also protect the environment through appropriate legislation, regulate the cost of inputs whilst promoting more sustainable production techniques… This requires time, expertise and funding – one of the cruxes of the problem. 

Thinking about funding from a long-term perspective

In Burkina Faso, Bernabé Traoré notes the precarious funding situation for a number of tools designed to support public policy, such as early warning systems: “Mechanisms are being put in place, but very often the systems are funded by programmes that have a fixed duration, and it is difficult to ensure their long-term sustainability.” Awatef Mabrouk, a sociologist specialising in rural development, laments certain contexts: “In Tunisia, we have centralised governance. But this is not optimised in terms of its connection with local realities.”

For Jean-Luc Chotte, one of the solutions to these difficulties is to stop treating the issue of droughts as a ‘side issue’ and instead place it ‘at the centre’. In his view, “the current political fragmentation means that no one is accountable for action or inaction on drought.” This certainly gives food for thought ahead of COP 17, which will take place next August.

The article Rethinking public policy to build resilience to drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to explain the importance of the role of local authorities in anticipating and managing crises related to these climatic events, and how they can be supported in this role. It should help to strengthen the arguments that can be put forward by civil society representatives at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: Burkina Faso, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France.

The article Strengthen the role of local authorities in building the resilience of territories to drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to shed light on the facilitation of pastoral mobility, which is essential for preserving and even improving resilience in arid and semi-arid areas. It should help to strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives will be able to put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: France, Guinea, Kenya.

The article No pastoralism without mobility: challenges and proposals appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to explain the importance of effective collective water management in increasing the resilience of agricultural production in arid and semi-arid areas. It should help to strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives will be able to put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: France, India, Palestine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tunisia, Yemen.

The article Working together to build water security: an imperative appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for participants and contributors to Désertif’actions, this note aims to shed light on the transition to agroecology in agricultural systems. It should help strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives can put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Mali, Niger, Palestine, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Yemen.

The article Agroecology to equip agricultural systems to cope with drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

In preparation for this meeting, CARI is publishing three notes deciphering the negotiations of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. These notes are intended for participants in the Désertif’actions programme, and more broadly for CSOs who follow and want to influence the UNCCD.  

• The Briefing Note on the UNCCD Negotiating Process explains in detail how and by whom UNCCD decisions are adopted. The note identifies entry points to influence negotiations and provides recommendations for CSOs attending the COP. 

• The Briefing Note on Regional Groups and Coalitions of Influence complements the previous note, detailing how UNCCD negotiators are organizing themselves to have weight in the negotiations. It helps to refine the understanding of advocacy targets. 

• The Briefing Note on the consideration of droughts in the UNCCD negotiations details the Convention’s action to combat droughts and summarises the latest progress in the negotiations on this subject. 

The article Briefing notes on the negotiations of the Convention on Desertification  appeared first on Desertif'actions.

These discussions are part of the central theme of Désertif’actions 2026: how can we improve the resilience of territories — ecosystems and communities — in the face of drought? 

Through complementary approaches — regional management, pastoralism, agricultural systems and regional water management — these webinars provided an opportunity to compare analyses, promote existing solutions and identify concrete levers for action. 

The key role of local authorities in regional governance 

This webinar highlighted the central role of local authorities in anticipating and managing drought-related crises. As the authorities closest to the people and the realities on the ground, they have strong legitimacy, the capacity to act quickly and a lasting presence in the territories. 

Discussions focused on the resources mobilised by local authorities to tackle droughts, the solutions proposed by operators in the field to support them, and the levers for action and advocacy needed to strengthen their capacity to manage territories sustainably in the context of climate crises. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Pastoralism: mobility at the heart of resilience 

Focusing on pastoral systems, this webinar highlighted that pastoral mobility is a key factor in resilience to drought. Resilience here is understood as the ability of pastoral communities, their animals and ecosystems to adapt, withstand and recover from climate shocks. 

The lessons learned from national workshops held in Guinea, France and Kenya reveal shared findings: land degradation, irregular rainfall and water scarcity are weakening pastoral systems. However, pastoralism also appears to be a major lever for adaptation, contributing to ecosystem regulation, soil preservation and food security. Common advocacy messages have emerged, particularly around the recognition of pastoralism as a pillar of adaptation strategies, inclusive governance of territories and securing pastoral mobility. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Transforming agricultural systems to cope with droughts 

This webinar focused on sedentary agricultural and livestock farming systems, which are facing increasingly frequent and intense droughts. While certain practices based on agroecological principles have proven effective in strengthening the resilience of farms, their adoption remains hampered by numerous obstacles. 

The discussions provided an opportunity to analyse the impacts of droughts on agricultural systems, the potential of agroecology to improve their resilience, the solutions implemented by agricultural development actors, and the levers for action and advocacy that can be activated to support the transition and promote scaling up. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Better water management at regional level 

This latest webinar focused on regional water resource management in the face of increasing shortages. The aim was to identify management methods that would enable crises to be anticipated, while reconciling the multiple uses of water. 

Discussions focused on the impact of droughts on water management, the benefits of a territorial approach to strengthening resilience, solutions proposed by development actors, and the levers for action and advocacy needed to support more sustainable water management practices that are adapted to climate challenges. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

The article Four webinars to strengthen the resilience of regions facing droughts  appeared first on Desertif'actions.

A global success for a vital cause

Who said pastoralism was a niche subject? Certainly not the 272 artists from 53 countries who responded to the call of the Désertif’actions summit. With 486 drawings received, this fourth international competition literally broke all records, proving that the resilience of territories and the mobility of herds are subjects that inspire from Iran (64 entries) to China (21), via Brazil, Indonesia and France.

The Jury in the arena: four hours of passionate debate

From left to right : Isabelle Teysseidre, Manuel Lapers, Jean-Michel Renault, Pierre Balhouet, Alain Plombat, Adeline Derkimba, Patrice Burger

On 11 December, the atmosphere was electric at the Maison des Relations Internationales in Montpellier. A jury of experts — including leading cartoonists (Jean-Michel Renault, MAN, Pierre Ballhouet), journalists and pastoralism specialists — had to make a decision.

“It’s a tremendous success in terms of participation,” said jury president J.M. Renault.

But the task was difficult. The theme — “Pastoralism, mobility at the heart of balance” — was demanding. Between biting humour, satire and social criticism, it took five rounds of judging to narrow down nearly 500 entries to a final selection of 30 exceptional drawings.

Why press cartoons?

For Patrice Burger, president of CARI and initiator of the competition, the challenge is clear: to transform complex subjects (climate, biodiversity, land) into powerful images that speak to everyone. It is a “key to communicating with the widest possible audience” and a vibrant tribute to the creativity of artists.

See you in Djerba for the final showdown

The suspense remains! While the 30 best drawings will be publicly exhibited at the Désertif’actions summit in Tunisia, the identities of the two grand prize winners will not be revealed until 27 March 2026.

The prize for the winners:

• 1st Prize: €1,500 and an invitation to Djerba for the event.
• Second Prize: €750.

One thing is certain: thanks to these artists, the cause of pastoral peoples will never again be invisible.

The 30 selected drawings

Click on the image to enlarge it

The article Pastoralism in bubbles and pencils: The huge success of the Désertif’actions 2026 competition! appeared first on Desertif'actions.

These workshops enabled the identification of specific concerns in different countries and the production of collective messages and recommendations. 

Each organiser wrote a report on their workshop to fuel discussions at the Summit. The content of the reports will be analysed to produce a cross-cutting report highlighting the concerns, progress, expectations and key messages of each country.

The article Find the workshop reports from the Désertif’actions preparatory workshops appeared first on Desertif'actions.

The Désertif’actions 2026 webinars are a major step forward in taking stock of scientific knowledge, the experiences of operators in the field gathered in preparatory workshops, and the challenges of the various themes in terms of advocacy. The four webinars will thus contribute to enriching discussions on the resilience of territories to drought and preparing for the Désertif’actions 2026 summit, which will be held from 25 to 28 March in Djerba (Tunisia).

Fourth and final webinar in the series on agricultural systems

The webinar “Facilitating the transformation of agricultural and livestock systems for greater drought resilience” will take place on Wednesday 17 December from 2pm to 4pm (GMT+1) on Zoom. Registration is required.

Registration required

Register

This webinar is a contribution to addressing the central question of Désertif’actions 2026, namely: how can we improve the resilience of territories (ecosystems and communities) in the face of drought?

Faced with the challenges posed by drought and climate change, certain strategies based on the principles of agroecology have proven effective in strengthening the resilience of farms. However, the transition to adopting these principles (technical, organisational, etc.) remains hampered by numerous structural and economic obstacles. Facilitating change is therefore essential to removing these barriers and promoting the transition of agricultural and livestock systems towards greater resilience.

The specific issue addressed by this webinar is: “How can we promote the transformation of sedentary agricultural and livestock systems to improve their resilience to drought?”

The sub-questions that the webinar will seek to answer:

• What are the impacts of droughts on agricultural systems?
• To what extent does agroecology help to ensure greater resilience for agricultural and livestock systems?
• What solutions are being implemented by agricultural development stakeholders to improve the resilience of farms in the face of drought?
• What levers for action and advocacy should be activated to help farms and sedentary livestock farming systems become more resilient to drought? How can we envisage scaling up this support?

Programme and speakers

The webinar will begin with two thematic presentations, followed by a multi-stakeholder round table discussion with 3 to 4 speakers.

Moderator : Eric SCOPEL – Researcher in Agroecology Cirad

Keynote speaker 1 : Pierre Ferrand – Agricultural Officer (Agroecology & Ecosystem Services)FAO / Impacts of droughts on agricultural and food systems and the relevance and limitations of agroecology in addressing these challenges 

Keynote speaker 2: Jérôme Enjalbert – Programme Officer CARI / Transformation of sedentary agricultural and livestock systems in D’A26 – feedback from the preparatory phase

Table ronde

• Mme Josephine Akia Luyimbazi – Country coordinator – PELUM Ouganda
• Dr Anneke Trux – Head of Program GIZ
• Dr Eduardo Martin – President FUNCEME

The article Webinar: Facilitating the transformation of agricultural and livestock systems for greater drought resilience appeared first on Desertif'actions.