Dry but rich: conserving biodiversity in drylands Water is an
essential ingredient for life on Earth. Yet its scarcity can
still support extraordinary biodiversity. Drylands cover more
than 40% of the world’s land surface and are home to unique
species and ecosystems. The book Conserving Dryland Biodiversity
launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, is the first
comprehensive analysis of the global importance and significance
of dryland biodiversity. “Despite their relative levels of
aridity, drylands contain a great variety of biodiversity. Many
animal and plant species and habitats are found only in
drylands, making some semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas among
the most biodiverse regions in the world,” says Jonathan Davies,
Coordinator of IUCN’s Global Drylands Initiative. “Biodiversity
is vital to the livelihoods of many dryland inhabitants playing
a central role in traditional risk management strategies,
supporting food production and providing a multitude of other
services.” The book is intended