Short Abstract:

Since November 2017 the CRG drylands participates in a EU-COST action focusing on drylands around Europe. In this roundtable we want to report on the challenges related the COST action and present future activities, and to foster a discussion on what we want to achieve with this COST action.

Long Abstract:

Since November 2017 the CRG drylands participates in a EU-COST action focusing on drylands around Europe. In this roundtable we want to report on the challenges related the COST action and present future activities. Most important we need to have a discussion on what we want to achieve with this COST action. The COST action has attracted high level attention from policy makers and research authorities at the level of governments and the EU. It is therefore high time to discuss the messages we want to deliver in these circles and to develop a strategy to ensure that we have the maximum influence on future policy agendas not only within the EU but also beyond in international research institutes (CGIAR) and regional organisations focusing on drylands such as UNOWAS and ECOWAS). For this we not only need to organize ourselves but also carefully think about the core messages we need to bring to the table in policy circles.