From flows to action: Governing urban-rural linkages for land and people

The event examines how rapid urbanization and urban-rural flows, including land conversion, food systems, labour mobility, settlement expansion, and ecosystem-service dynamics, drive land degradation, drought vulnerability, and climate risks. Using a flow-based governance approach, the session highlights integrated territorial planning, peri-urban land protection, and inclusive decision-making to strengthen resilience across the urban-rural continuum. Drawing on experiences from Mongolia, Jordan, and other contexts, it seeks to position urban-rural linkages as a key implementation pathway for land degradation neutrality, restoration, and people-centered development.