Sustainability challenges for the social-environmental systems across the Asian Drylands Belt

Abstract This paper synthesizes the contemporary challenges for sustainability of social-environmental system (SES) across a geographically, environmentally, and geopolitically diverse region—the Asian Drylands Belt (ADB). region includes 18 political entities, covering 10.3% global land area 30% total drylands. At present time, ADB is confronted with unique set environmental socioeconomic changes including water shortage-related dramatic institutional since collapse Union Soviet Socialist Republics. The SES assessed using conceptual framework rooted in three pillars science: social, economic, ecological systems. complex dynamics are explored biophysical, socioeconomic, institutional, local context-dependent mechanisms focus on institutions use cover change (LULCC) as important drivers dynamics. also discusses following five pressing, practical SES: (a) reduced quantity quality under warming, drying, escalating extreme events, (b) continued, if not intensifying, geopolitical conflicts, (c) volatile, uncertain, shifting structures, (d) globalization cross-country influences, (e) intensification shifts LULCC. To meet varied region, place-based, transdisciplinary approaches needed to human-environment interactions within between regional landscapes explicit consideration specific forcings regulatory mechanisms. Future work focused this should assess role that may moderate dynamics: regulating mechanisms, biophysical national localized