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TUMU, Northern Ghana — As the sun rises over the dusty plains of northern Ghana, a quiet revolution is underway. In a region long ravaged by desertification and drought, communities are adopting innovative sustainable land management (SLM) practices and breathing new life into these once-parched lands. This is not just about restoring the environment but also about rejuvenating agriculture and creating a hopeful future. Women are at the forefront of this movement, whose leadership and innovation are paving the way for more sustainable lands and livelihoods. Women from the Nanchala community dancing and singingFor decades, the people of northern Ghana have battled against a harsh reality: their once fertile lands are turning to dust, their crops withering under the relentless sun. Traditional practices, such as cutting down trees for charcoal production, have only worsened the situation, leading to widespread deforestation and land degradation. “Especially this year, the sun has been too high,” laments Hillia Sulemana Joseph, the chairman of Sakalo’s community committee. “We are trying our best to help with the drought and all these problems.”  Hillia Sulemana Joseph, chairman of Sakalo’s community committee.In response to these challenges, the community, with the support of organizations like Arusha Ghana, has begun to adopt sustainable practices that promise both environmental and economic benefits. One of the most notable innovations is the production of charcoal from grass — a resource that is abundant and renewable, unlike the rapidly disappearing trees. “Arusha Ghana has come to introduce the grass that we can use to make charcoal,” says Joseph, explaining how this shift could dramatically reduce deforestation. “This will reduce the cutting of trees that protect the vegetation and the ozone layer.”This sustainable approach is not just about preserving the environment; it’s about creating a new economy. By producing grass charcoal, the community not only protects its natural resources but also opens up new income streams for local families. The shift to grass charcoal has sparked a small-scale industry, providing jobs and fostering economic resilience in an area where opportunities are scarce. Charcoal made out of grass dryingThe community’s commitment to these practices is enforced by a newly established local police force, which ensures adherence to strict regulations against bush burning and illegal tree felling. “If we catch you burning bush or cutting trees for charcoal, you will go to jail,” Joseph warns, highlighting the seriousness of their mission.The economic benefits of sustainable land management are not limited to charcoal production. In July 2024, a team from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) visited the Sakalu and Nachanla communities. They saw first-hand how innovative SLM practices are being used and witnessed the real results of the Land of Opportunities — Global Mechanism Project, commonly known as LogMe, which integrates environmental restoration with economic development, particularly for women. Women from the Nanchala communityThe LogMe project, funded by the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transitions and implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is designed to create employment opportunities through sustainable land use. “We did not come with imposed technologies,” says Dr. Jacques Somda, head of the IUCN program in Burkina Faso. “We came to discuss with them and see together what we can do to change what they are doing that is not good for nature.”LogMe has facilitated the planting of over 60,000 tree seedlings to restore forests and farmlands. Four community nurseries with 40,000 seedling capacity were also established. 8 solar-powered boreholes were installed to improve access to clean drinking water. These interventions are helping to rebuild vegetation, store carbon and recharge groundwater. Dr. Jacques Somda, head of the IUCN program in Burkina FasoCentral to the project is the restoration of wetlands through reforestation and erosion control, practices that not only protect the environment but also enhance agricultural productivity. Somda explains, “By restoring the forest gallery, we reduce evapotranspiration and allow the watercourse to retain more water.” This restoration supports the creation of microclimates that can sustain crops even during dry seasons, boosting food security and providing farmers with more reliable incomes. Tree planting around water bodiesWomen, who have traditionally been marginalized in economic activities, are now becoming key players in this environmental and economic revival. Chambua Sahada, secretary of the women’s group Nanchala Community, describes the transformative effect of tree planting around water bodies: “With the trees, it was initially difficult to access water in December. But now, with the trees around, an ecosystem has been created. We can see crocodiles, hear birds, and there are even fish in the river.”This restoration not only brings environmental benefits but also empowers women economically. The LogMe project has introduced training programs that teach women to use energy-efficient cookstoves and produce charcoal briquettes from clay and dry grass. These new skills have opened up additional income streams for women, who are now able to sell these environmentally friendly products in local markets. Nanchala community women's group secretary Chambua Sahada with Gilles Amadou Ouedraogo, project manager at the Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).LogMe has promoted livelihood diversification activities like beekeeping, dry season gardening and soap making. Over 120 women’s groups received beehives and training in honey production.Women’s economic empowerment is central to the community’s sustainable development strategy. By involving women in decision-making and leadership roles, the community ensures that its initiatives are more inclusive and effective. Sahada’s group has even broken cultural taboos, with women now harvesting honey — an activity once reserved for men. “In the beginning, it was even taboo for a woman to harvest honey,” Sahada recalls. “But now we do it ourselves.” Rehabilitated forest area in northern Ghana dotted with bee hives, part of sustainable land management practices that not only restore the environment but also provide local communities with new sources of income through beekeepingIn just over two years, the LogMe project has sustainably transformed over 80,000 lives across 8 communities. Through integrated approaches, degraded sahelian landscapes have been restored, food security boosted, forests regenerated, and new livelihood options created. The project shows that even in the face of desertification and drought, coordinated action can turn lands of despair into lands of opportunity. Dr. Somda says: “We make sure that the restoration activities are based on benefits for the local people. As we restore the land, nature also benefits from these activities.” Two young girls share a joyful moment at a community water pump in northern Ghana, symbolizing the brighter future being built through sustainable land management and access to essential resourcesSustainable land management is critical to addressing the environmental challenges of northern Ghana. Through innovative approaches, community involvement and comprehensive projects like LogMe, significant progress is being made in restoring degraded land and improving agriculture. These efforts are protecting the environment and improving the lives of local communities, demonstrating the power of sustainable practices to build resilience and prosperity. As the sun sets over Sakalo, casting long shadows over the rejuvenated land, the women gather once more, their hands and hearts full of the day’s work. They are not just restoring the land; they are reclaiming their lives, their dignity, and their hope for a future where the earth is as resilient as the people who call it home.

Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, discusses the environmental disaster that has occurred at the Aral Sea.

As the UNCCD high-level meeting in Central Asia draws near, we welcome you to this discussion on why global and regional gatherings are an essential part of the UNCCD process. The twenty-first session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 21) in Samarkand is set to serve as a vital marker in the Convention’s ongoing efforts to accelerate progress on land restoration and drought resilience.   By bringing together experts, leaders and delegates from 196 nations and the European Union, the meeting sets a major arena for the exchange of cutting-edge insights. This pooling of global expertise not only fosters productive solutions but also facilitates joint decision-making, ensuring a coordinated approach to pressing environmental challenges.   CRIC21 will focus on strategic objectives ranging from sustainable land management and drought resilience to  secure and equal land rights for women. The event will also provide a platform to discuss emergent crises exacerbated by climate change, such as sand and dust storms and wildfires.   Taking place at the halfway point between the biannual Confrences of the Parties (COP) to UNCCD, the insights coming out of CRIC21 will aid in defining the next steps for all stakeholders, providing a clear and focused roadmap to UNCCD COP16, scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2024. 

As the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UNDER) gains momentum, UNCCD and WOCAT are partnering up on a video series that highlight the central role of sustainable land management (SLM) in restoring and maintaining the health of ecosystems.  SLM has a central role in each of the eight UNDER ecosystems – farmlands, grasslands, forests, mountains, freshwaters, urban areas, peatlands, oceans and coasts – by combating land degradation, improving production and securing livelihoods while simultaneously generating multiple environmental co-benefits.  While people have directly contributed to ecosystem degradation, they can also be the primary agents of change toward a sustainable land management restoration when armed with knowledge to adopt and upscale SLM.  The new video series presents successful practices for each ecosystem, demonstrating how SLM can deliver powerful solutions to ecosystem degradation.  

Excellencies, dear Friends,   It is a pleasure for me to address you today from the headquarters of the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.  Let me begin by expressing my recognition to the Russian Federation for hosting this event. The Nevsky Congress is a clear testimony of the paramount importance of the environmental agenda.   No corner of the globe is immune from the devastating consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and drought.   Sea levels are rising, oceans are acidifying, the Arctic is melting, forests are burning, weather extremes are intensifying.   Droughts hit everywhere and with more intensity.   Rising temperatures are fuelling environmental degradation and economic deterioration.  Therefore, the theme of today´s meeting “Ecology: a right, not a privilege” couldn’t be more relevant.   We cannot afford to take today´ situation for granted.   Resolute and concerted actions are needed for the sake of present and future generations;   for their right to a decent life and environment.   However, all rights go hand in hand with responsibilities.   And our collective responsibility is to think about our Planet and to take care of the land which belongs to us all.  Without urgent action on how we use and steward our land, we cannot aspire to sustainable development for all.   Land generates the food we eat. Land produces the fibre necessary to our clothing. The water we drink is coming from terrestrial ecosystems.   The quality of the air we breathe also partly depends on the health of our land.   Therefore, I would like to call upon all the participants here today to think about land restoration as a powerful and cost-effective sustainable development tool.   Investing in large-scale land restoration to build resilience to drought, combat soil erosion, and loss of agricultural production is a win-win solution for everybody:   for the environment, for the climate, for the economy, and for the livelihoods of local communities.   Sustainable agriculture and nature-based solutions are a smart way to increase food production, stabilize climate, create employment, and wealth and prosperity.   These challenges are of importance to all.   Ladies and gentlemen,  Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.   2024 is also the year of COP16 of the Convention, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.   The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is the only legally binding global treaty set up to address land degradation and the effects of drought.   Next year’s Nevsky International Congress may therefore be a good platform to discuss these issues. Sharing and enhancing knowledge on drought resilience, sustainable land management and restoration is key to improving land and livelihoods.   UNCCD stands ready to provide it’s support.   I wish you a successful and fruitful meeting and a productive discussion.  Spasíbo. Thank you very much for your attention!

Last week a group of African innovation leaders from the Great Green Wall joined a workshop in the Negev region of Israel to exchange knowledge with local innovative startup companies. The workshop is part of the DeserTech initiative that explores new ways of addressing desert-related challenges through technology and innovation while upscaling Africa's innovation ecosystem. Participants have been selected through an open application process that invited Innovators, entrepreneurs, corporate entities, investors, policy makers and non-governmental organizations from the Great Green Wall countries to explore innovative technologies and new business models that generate collaborations to restore degraded land, while creating business opportunities and jobs. The DeserTech is an innovation community, developed as a joint initiative of the Merage Foundation Israel, the Israel Innovation Institute, The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Located in Be'er Sheva, it promotes development, adaptation and commercialization of technologies that enable sustainable living in arid climates, while transforming the region into a global entrepreneurial hub. Earlier in the programme, 30 DeserTech Innovation Leaders from Great Green Wall countries joined a series of online workshops to identify the challenges in need of innovative tech solutions. Specific challenges include rainwater harvesting and conservation, high precision underground water detection, off-grid solar energy production, water desalinization for agricultural use, development of drought-resilient seed varieties, vertical farming, optimizing soil health and planting processes, implementing solar-powered precision irrigation, innovative roof gardening solutions, solar-powered cold storage and weather-forecasting tools. All challenges have been posted on the DeserTech marketplace. The Great Green Wall workshop in Negev also cast project teams that will be working on concrete project proposals and business models over the coming weeks, to be presented to potential donors and supporters later this year. The Great Green Wall is a flagship African-led initiative to create a mosaic of healthy productive landscapes across Africa, protect the climate and improve livelihoods. It aims to restore100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, capture 250 million tons of carbon and create ten million green jobs in the Sahel region that includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.