A pathway to strengthening soil health in drylands for resilience, productivity, and sustainability

A family photo of the panellists. (From left)  Mohsin Hafeez, Strategic Program Director for Water, Food and Ecosystems, IWMI; Chiyedza Heri, Founder and CEO, Ubuntu Alliance; Rachael McDonnell, Deputy Director General – Research for Development, IWMI; Mirriam Makungwe, Postdoctoral Fellow, Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture & Climate Information Services, IWMI; Mikail Haruna Daya, Founder, DINERCAB; Richard Kachungu, Co-Found, YEFI; and Karunakara ReddyMardi, Walk for Water.

Drylands are significantly important due to their ecological, economic, and social roles. Studies indicate that drylands support over 2 billion people. They are vital for food security, especially in Africa and Asia. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the ability of dryland species and populations to survive extreme conditions can inform strategies for coping with global climate challenges.

Soil health challenges in drylands include water scarcity, low soil fertility, salinization, and erosion. These challenges contribute to reduced agricultural productivity in drylands. Hence, there is an urgent need to improve the management of dryland soils for enhanced ecological, economic, and social sustainability.

Collaborative efforts of stakeholders across sectors are required to realize sustainable management of dryland soils. This will ultimately result in enhanced soil resilience, thereby improving agricultural productivity and increasing resilience to climate variability and extreme weather conditions.

(From left) Mohsin Hafeez, Strategic Program Director for Water, Food and Ecosystems, IWMI; Betemariam Ermias, Land Health Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF; and Richard Kachungu, Co-Found, YEFI, keenly listen to Rachael McDonnell, Deputy Director General – Research for Development, IWMI.

It was on this basis that the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), with support from the CGIAR Environmental Health and Biodiversity Impact Platform (EHBIAP), organized a pivotal side event at UNCCD COP16 under the theme “Our Land. Our Future” and on World Soil Day under the theme “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage,” a pivotal side event brought global attention to the critical role of soil health in the sustainable management of soils in drylands. The event hosted cross-sectoral stakeholders – leading soil and water scientists, policymakers and practitioners from IWMI, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Ubuntu Alliance, Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI), Drylands Initiative for Ecosystem Restoration and Capacity Building (DINERCAB) and EHBIAP.

The experts discussed and emphasized the urgent need for integrated approaches to combat land degradation and enhance soil resilience in drylands. Discussions centered on the following 3 key themes:

1. Importance of water in sustainable management of dryland soils. Experts highlighted the pivotal role water plays in the sustainable management of dryland soils, supporting essential soil functions, including nutrient cycling, biological activity, and soil structure maintenance, which are vital for productivity and resilience. With case studies from Tanzania, Benin and Pakistan, Racheal McDonnell, Deputy Director General – Research for Development, IWMI demonstrated how piloting on-farm water technology bundles such as wetting front detector, chameleon sensors and soil moisture probes through irrigation scheduling is improving water use efficiency in drylands.
2. Soil organic carbon is very essential as it helps increase water-holding capacity and ensures reductions in desertification. Achieving this requires collaboration among soil, water, and other scientists from various disciplines, each bringing unique perspectives to address the same challenge. These experts must work together to build bridges and develop practices that align with shared goals. It’s about creating synergies between the Rio Conventions, with water serving as the critical link that connects all three conventions.
   
   “If we manage the water better and manage the soil moisture levels better, we can increase our productivity, we can reduce the frequency of irrigation, and critically, we could reduce the water usage by up to 86%. Think about what that means in terms of the water-saving scarcity,” stated McDonnell 
3. Importance of targeted and relevant soil health indicators for dryland systems.

• Addressing unique challenges: Conventional soil indicators often fail to capture the specific stressors affecting drylands. Indicators such as soil organic carbon, infiltration rates, salinity levels, and water-holding capacity provide targeted insights essential for tackling these challenges.
• Guiding sustainable management: Specific indicators help develop practices suited to dryland conditions, such as optimizing water use, preventing salinization, and enhancing soil fertility. These strategies improve agricultural productivity and ecosystem resilience.
• Enhancing climate adaptation: Drylands are highly vulnerable to climate variability. Targeted indicators support the monitoring and mitigation of extreme weather impacts, enabling adaptive management strategies.
• Supporting local and global goals: Tailored soil indicators align with global frameworks like the UNCCD and SDGs, aiding efforts to combat desertification, improve livelihoods, and promote sustainable land use. Practices such as minimal tillage, crop rotation, and residue retention have proven effective in preserving soil structure and organic matter.

Key indicators for drylands

• Water scarcity indicators: Water infiltration rates and water-holding capacity are critical for understanding and improving water use efficiency in drylands.
• Soil fertility indicators: Measures like soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient availability provide insights into enhancing soil productivity under arid conditions.
• Topsoil stability indicators: Monitoring aggregate structure and topsoil stability helps mitigate erosion caused by wind and water, reducing erosion risks.
• Salinity management indicators: Metrics such as electrical conductivity and ion concentrations help identify and manage salinity issues common in dryland soils.
• Biological activity indicators: Soil microbial biomass and diversity serve as vital measures of ecosystem health, supporting nutrient cycling and soil resilience.

Betemariam Ermias (right), Land Health Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF speaking at the event with Mohsin Hafeez, Strategic Program Director for Water, Food and Ecosystems, IWMI keenly following.

Practical elements for monitoring soil health in drylands:

• Integrated landscape-level approaches: Holistic strategies for sustainable soil management across broader ecosystems.
• Soil-crop microbiome interactions: Studying soil microbiomes under climate change to improve soil health and resilience.
• Digital agriculture tools: Leveraging AI, machine learning, and other digital technologies to enhance monitoring and management.
• Modeling and geospatial tools: Using advanced modeling techniques to quantify soil carbon and support carbon credit initiatives.
• Learning sites (Living Laboratories): Demonstrating practical solutions in real-world settings, fostering community engagement through “seeing is believing.”

Panel discussions emphasized the urgent need for unified action to achieve sustainable soil management in drylands. The panelists highlighted that advocating for climate-smart agriculture requires an integrated approach that considers the critical role of water alongside soil management. Panelists recommended the following:

• Promoting agroforestry: Agroforestry is essential for restoring biodiversity and significantly improving soil health. However, expanding forestry and agroforestry in drylands requires addressing water scarcity. Water harvesting practices, such as constructing reservoirs or capturing runoff, are vital for providing irrigation during dry spells.
• Minimizing soil disturbance: Reducing soil disturbance, such as through conservation tillage, enhances soil health and, in turn, improves agricultural yields.
• Transitioning from rainfed to irrigated agriculture: Dryland agriculture is predominantly rainfed, making it highly vulnerable to climate variability. Stakeholders must collaborate with farmers to transition to irrigation systems. The main challenge lies in the energy needed to power these systems, underscoring the importance of renewable energy solutions. However, renewable energy is costly, so climate financing and proof-of-concept projects are crucial to secure funding and demonstrate viability.
• Capacity building for farmers: Farmers need training on efficient chemical fertilizer use, focusing on the principles of applying the right amount, type, and timing of fertilizers. Combining this approach with soil testing will ensure improved yields while minimizing environmental impacts, contributing to the sustainable management of dryland soils.
• Participatory land use planning: Engaging communities in land use planning fosters sustainable practices and ensures that land management strategies are locally appropriate and inclusive.
• Nature-Positive actions and financial innovations: Scaling up financial innovations offers significant potential for sustainable development in drylands. For example, carbon markets have proven to be effective mechanisms under the Rio Conventions. Developing tailored financial products for farmers can drive nature-positive actions, enhance livelihoods, and contribute to climate goals.

By adopting these strategies, stakeholders can address the unique challenges of dryland ecosystems, promoting resilience and sustainability for both soils and communities.

Chiyedza Heri (left) Founder and CEO, Ubuntu Alliance and Mikail Haruna Daya, Founder, DINERCAB speaking at the event.

A call to action

The side event culminated in a unified call to prioritize soil health in global and national agendas. Participants emphasized that investing in sustainable soil management in drylands is essential for combating desertification and achieving broader goals such as food security, climate adaptation, and poverty alleviation.