The need to develop strong mechanisms and strategies to rescue African drylands gets stronger with each passing day. The First Africa Drylands Week, held in Dakar, Senegal from 10 – 17 June 2011 focused on the challenge of our time - saving Africa’s drylands - and that time is now.

Scientists, policy and decision makers, practitioners, local communities and development specialists from within and beyond the region came together to discuss this challenge. Drylands occupy 43% of the land surface.

“Our vision is to see a re-greening of the entire Sahel”, Dr Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, told participants. In a lively presentation, he portrayed the power of agroforestry – the growing of trees on farms and in landscapes – and discussed how connecting with the basic needs of people relating to food security and food production was vital to the success of the proposal Great Green Wall.

Dr Garrity said key solutions lie in helping farmers and communities to nurture the trees they have. “This will mean regenerating trees farmers can cultivate and use for increasing food production and to provide fuel, timber and fodder.”

“Trees such as Faidherbia albida can help increase the production of millet and sorghum,” Garrity said. “Governments and organisations should make this knowledge available to farmers. This is the type of investment needed to make the Great Green Wall effective”.

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Mr Luc Gnacadja outlined how land degradation within the next 25 years could reduce world food production by 12% possibly more in the dry zones.

“The availability of agricultural land is essential to guarantee food production,” added Mr Gnacadja. “It is urgent that we invest to secure basic resources for food security and to improve the productivity of small scale farmers, especially in Africa.”

Dr Garrity told participants it was time to outline strategies for replicating successful experiences of farmer-managed natural regeneration that have occurred in some areas in the Sahel, notably in the Zinder and Maradi regions of Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

Adjacent to the main workshop discussions were strategic meetings between field actors, potential donors, government officials and specialists. The First Africa Drylands Week coincided with the World Day to Combat Desertification, observed every year on 17 June. This day is set aside by the United Nations to sensitize the public and policy makers to the increasing dangers of desertification, land degradation and drought. This being the International Year on Forests, the World Day to Combat Desertification for 2011 focused specifically on forests in the dryland areas of the world, with the theme: Forests keep drylands working.

In opening the meeting, Senegalese Minister of Environment and Nature Protection, Djibo Ka, said Senegal’s situation is very critical and needs urgent attention.”If nothing is done within the next decade, things may get out of hand”.

The organisers stressed that this was not just another meeting but an opportunity to discuss lessons and experiences from major development programs in achieving suitable resilient land and climate management systems. It was also aimed at envisioning synergies in knowledge-based management, developing best practices and reviewing policies of resilient communities that achieve both human well-being and ecological sustainability. The aim is to develop clear plans for collective action between the stakeholders in mainstreaming implementation of the three Rio conventions regarding sustainable land management and climate-related risk management as well as contributing to implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI).

The First Africa Drylands Week demonstrated renewed solidarity and unity throughout the Circum-Saharan region. Under this framework, individual countries, or groups of countries, will be able to develop their own initiatives that when combined will contribute to successful land management, combat the effects of climate change, prevent and combat desertification, conserve biodiversity, mitigate the vulnerability of rural and urban societies, and ensure food security for tens of millions of families across the Sahara and the Sahel.