In order to contribute to countering dryland degradation, 14 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from all over the world joined forces in 2007 to form the Drynet network. Drynet understands that to effectively counter degradation, local organisations and communities living in drylands should be at the heart of the effort. Unfortunately, their involvement in the national and international arenas of decision-making is often very marginal. By directly linking with local groups and engaging them in broader debates, Drynet seeks to redress the current imbalance.