Kaokoland region in Namibia: a general view of Himbas country. © Yann Arthus-Bertrand Earth from Above / UNESCO

International Scientific Conference on Desertification and Drylands Research
Commemorating 50 Years of Drylands Research
Tunis, Tunisia 19 - 21 June 2006

Background
Desertification is a land degradation problem of major importance in the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions of the world. Deterioration of soil and plant cover has adversely affected 70% of the world's drylands as a result of extended droughts and human mismanagement of cultivated and range lands. The situation is likely to worsen, with high population growth rates and accompanying land use conflicts. But it is also important to remember that drylands have been cradles to some of the world's greatest civilizations, and contemporary dryland communities preserve rich and unique cultures. In addition, dryland ecosystems, especially those in montane areas, support a surprising and valuable amount of biodiversity.

'The Future of Drylands' conference provided a highly visible international forum for addressing these issues and disseminating practical solutions for combating desertification as well as conserving and sustainably managing dryland ecosystems. Major conference themes addressed both research and natural science issues, including conservation of dryland biological and cultural diversity and the human-dryland interface

The conference also marked 50 years of drylands research, dating back to the International Arid Lands Meetings, originally held in New Mexico (USA) in 1955. Those meetings, organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and sponsored by UNESCO with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, identified a number of key drylands issues. Fifty years later, our understanding of drylands has vastly improved, and the amount of data available with which to study drylands has virtually exploded. The 2006 'The Future of Drylands' conference provided an occasion to assess the "health" and future prospects of the world's drylands within the framework of the previous 50 years of research and experience.

The conference included multiple plenary speakers, oral and poster sessions and brought together leading dryland scientists, field experts, practitioners, and decision-makers from all the world's dryland regions.