Large-scale adoption of sustainable land management and nature-based solutions (NbS) to drought is not a standalone transformation – it is an integral part of rethinking how we value land and relearning how to manage land sustainably. Effective local governance for nature-based solutions to drought needs to follow a whole of society approach. This includes engaging marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples, women, and youth, in transparent decision-making processes.
Building inclusive institutions like local councils, cooperatives, or community forest management bodies empowers locals to actively shape land use decisions. Local governance must also be able to balance trade-offs, which occur because NbS often provide a diversity of different benefits, and not all stakeholders value these benefits in the same way. Addressing them must be approached transparently through credible assessments with full disclosure and agreement among the most affected stakeholders, and with ecological and social safeguards in place that also recognize the importance of integrating gender-responsive safeguards and strategies.