Natural regeneration of drylands and associated pathways to human health outcomes: perspectives from rural households

Abstract

Land degradation and climate change are intertwined global challenges, their implications on human health is driven by unsustainable use of natural resources which results to loss of vital ecosystem services. Although exploitation of natural resources has benefited human-wellbeing, it has also resulted to catastrophic degradation of landscapes, acutely affecting populations living in the most fragile ecosystems. Landscape restoration is widely advocated to reverse degradation, however, implementation has outpaced research on impact, particularly with regards to human-health outcomes. This study documents perspectives of rural communities living in dryland and demonstrates a novel application of ecosystem services framework to conceptualise the pathways to health. The analysis of group discussions show how Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) can reverse decades of land degradation with cascading benefits on climate change resilience and multiple health outcomes linked to heat adaptation, sustained food and nutritional security, improved air and water quality, income diversification and gender equality.