Drylands are actually a unique type of ecosystem characterised by water scarcity and low precipitation. Plants and animals here survive on little water, adapted to the droughts and heat waves that are common in these areas.

However, just because these regions are dry does not mean that they are barren. Drylands are still productive landscapes with considerable economic potential and environmental value, but the monitoring and rehabilitation of dryland ecosystems has not attracted as much attention as other ecosystems, such as rainforests. Drylands are vulnerable, yet they are being neglected. Climate change, unsustainable land use and increasing weather scarcity are all causing drylands to degrade beyond repair, affecting ecosystems, harming biodiversity, reducing land productivity and limiting the production of crops, plants and livestock, all of which make life harder for the communities who live there.