Drylands are among the most climate-sensitive and ecologically fragile ecosystems on Earth, covering approximately 41% of the planet’s land surface. These areas experience water scarcity, erratic precipitation, frequent droughts, and extreme temperatures. These pressures further intensified by centuries of land use through overgrazing, wildfires, and unsustainable forest product extraction.

Despite these challenges, drylands are home to over two billion people and support uniquely adapted ecosystems that provide vital goods and services. Dryland forests and trees, covering 1.1 billion hectares globally, provide important ecosystem services, including provisioning services (production of food, fiber, medicinal and pharmaceutical plants, timber, and biofuels), regulating services (water purification, pollination and seed dispersal, and climate regulation by sequestering and storing vast amounts of carbon in the soils), habitat and supporting services (providing habitats for fauna and flora with high endemic value), and cultural services (contribution to cultural identity and diversity, cultural landscapes and heritage values, and spiritual services). 

Yet, dryland forests remain underrepresented in global and national forest governance. Many affected countries face institutional fragmentation, limited capacity, and chronic underinvestment in restoration. These gaps call for regionally coordinated action and dedicated technical platforms.

The workshop will convene national and regional stakeholders to enhance capacities on forest restoration, regional coordination, and knowledge sharing. Organized in parallel with Istanbul Forest Innovation Week, it will provide a platform to discuss and validate the draft proposal for the regional network of forestry actors, fostering collaboration across government and civil society.

Closed session!