Events around the world 2023

The National Environment Management Agency is planning a range of activities in Kitui County on 17 June that will focus on raising awareness on the key role the importance of women's land rights and securing ownership of land in the fight against desertification. The activities will include a guided panel discussion, a village-wide dialogue, a media campaign through local radio stations, a survey on the participation of women in sustainable land management and resource conservation under different land tenure systems, a display of water-harvesting technologies, an inventory of drought-tolerant crop varieties, community donations of water-harvesting devices, drought resilient plants and farm animals.

UNCCD Regional Liaison Office (RLO) Africa will host a hybrid roundtable on 16 June to withof key partners such as the African Union, regional commissions (IGAD, ECOWAS, SADC, ECAC), UNECA, UNWOMEN, FAO, IFAD, ICESCO, the network of women's agricultural and commercial cooperatives in Africa as well as the diplomatic community accredited in Morocco. Information stands of women's cooperatives will be featured at the event. One of the key moments highlight of the national celebration of the Desertification and Drought Day will be sSigning of an MoU with France and Canada to support women’s participation in agricultural and forestry projects.

Plans to celebrate Desertification and Drought Day 2023 include a digital info display at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; tree planting at a university campus in the Northeast and a discussion on "Her land, her rights" broadcast on national television.

To celebrate the 2023 Desertification and Drought Day, the Korea Forest Service will organize various commemorative events in partnership with the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK. Business and NGOs will also join the event which will include an observance ceremony, a poster competition, and an English speech contest for future generations. All these events will highlight the importance of combating desertification and planting trees in response to the climate crisis. A number of events to support global reforestation campaign called “Plant Our Planet” will also take place.

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is organizing a forum on the Desertification and Drought Day. This yea's themer “Her Land. Her Right” emphasizes that investing in women’s equal access to land and associated assets is a direct investment in their future and the future of humanity. It invites women to be at the forefront of global land restoration and drought resilience efforts. Mr. Adama Soko will be speaking the opportunities for women to rehabilitate degraded lands in the Middle East.

An event to commemorate the Desertification and Drought Day 2023 highlight the importance of improving degraded land by engaging women and local communities.

Mexico: On 17 June, RLO LAC is organizing a Desertification and Drought Day event in Guadalajara chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, with 150 in-person guests and a live stream via virtual platforms. Participants will include representatives of indigenous groups, subnational governments, academia, civil society and other prominent guests. Evento conmemorativo nacional: Día Mundial contra la Desertificación y la Sequía 2023 - “Mujer. Su Tierra. Sus derechos”

On 17 June in Budapest, RLO for Northern Mediterranean invites representatives of the country Parties as well as experts to a regional scientific conference in Budapest.

An international event for academic research and civil society representatives committed to the safeguarding of water resources and the fight against desertification and land degradation.
The first part of the event, which will take place in the Aula Magna "Barbieri" at the Department of Agricultural Sciences (Sassari) from 9:30 to 13:00, will be aimed at students, researchers, agronomists and citizens, and will concern issues related to the projects “I CARE SOIL (Citizen Science experience on soil protection), E.WA.S. (Environment and Water Solutions), VARCOR (Vermitechnology application for valorization and reuse of cocoa residues) and TERRA (Employment of eco-sustainable technologies for the re-use of organic residues in the agricultural chain).
The second part, a virtual meeting, will start at 2.00 pm in the formant of an international webinar: "Her Land. Her rights: a science-civil society dialogue on women's efforts for drought and desertification challenges”, coordinated by Mauro Centritto (IPSP-CNR Director and member of the Civil Society Organizations Panel of the UNCCD), followed by a round table, coordinated by Anna Luise (member of the Science Policy Interface of the UNCCD). Various PhD students, researchers and representatives of civil society will take part in the event.

A celebration organized by AssoCEA Messina APS with invitation from Municipality of Castelbuono and the Francesco Minà Palumbo Nature Museum.

A joint event organized by the National Focal points for UNCCD from Norther Mediterranean and Central and Eastern Europe regions together with UNEP, will focus on sharing experiences around women’s land rights and women’s participation in land restoration and drought resilience projects.

A interregional event in Belgrade will focus on exchanging best women-led practices in sustainable land management.

United States of America: Global observance of the Desertification and Drought Day 2023 on 16 June will take place in New York City.
More information: Event website