CRDD puts emphasis on the integration of knowledge - local and scientific - to co-develop and implement development solutions by taking into account capacities of the communities and other relevant stakeholders.

It is based on the premise that the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in the drylands is centered on people’s management of land and livestock resources that is guided by intergenerational knowledge systems and long-standing institutional frameworks. However, this has not received the recognition and support it deserves. CRDD envisages that integration of the local knowledge systems with the formal scientific knowledge provides a strong basis for the achievement of sustainable management of the drylands resources.

Therefore, in its work, CRDD places the local communities central in developing and implementing contextualized, holistic solutions to local challenges. This is a departure from practices where local communities’ roles have remained peripheral, mostly as information providers. We promote people-centered research and development partnerships, where local actors play an active role from the start to the end of the projects. 

In working towards addressing the challenges affecting communities, CRDD’s has organized its work into four priority areas, which are all interlinked and essential in achieving the overall vision of the organization