Understanding Common Perceptions of the Drylands

Understanding Common Perceptions of the Drylands

Drylands occupy over 40% of the earth’s surface and are home to more than 2 billion people. Drylands are key to the food and nutritional security of the planet and vital to the economies and livelihoods of dryland inhabitants. Yet, drylands are commonly perceived as unproductive, economically inefficient and marginal lands where small-scale farmers and pastoralists practice environmentally degrading activities. Driven by inadequate understanding and misconceptions of the drylands, policy-makers devise inappropriate policies and interventions. The BRECcIA project developed an online Drylands Perceptions Survey to understand the perceptions of researchers, practitioners and policy makers working in the drylands of Kenya, Malawi and Ghana. This paper presents results from a pilot of 40 responses and is part of a wider ongoing study. Results show that many respondents subscribe to a number of common drylands statements or assumptions, although other statements are challenged and respondents disagree with the assumptions. In another set of cases, respondents had mixed views and a more nuanced picture emerged that is context dependent. Through the BRECcIA project, the survey findings are being used to shape the development of new and revised dryland training courses with a more critical policy and research focus for policy-makers, practitioners, researchers and students in Kenya.