Other meetings & events

The Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, WOCAT and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation are inviting you to a high-level event with a keynote speech by the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw as well as a panel discussion on the future of our land. RSVP by 9 May: https://bit.ly/3H9SVZ6 

The 17th Meeting of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) will take place 2-4 May 2023 at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. The SPI serves as a bridge between science and policy in global efforts to address land degradation, desertification and drought. The SPI’s unique composition brings together 15 independent scientists, five science delegates representing the policy realties of each region, and five experts in practice drawn from implementing agencies and civil society. This dedicated team is currently working to provide scientific assessment leading to guidance on two important bottlenecks to success identified by Parties: Developing guidance on pursuing Sustainable Land Use Systems can help UNCCD Parties optimize mix of land-based solutions they will pursue, with the aim of navigating the trade-offs among competing demands for land and achieving multiple benefits Working to help better understand aridity trends, projections and impacts to help Parties plan for a future where even more land and even more people may well be impacted by desertification and drought In this working meeting, the scientists hope to make progress on these two scientific assessments while also furthering collaboration with six other intergovernmental science bodies whose work is relevant to UNCCD priorities.

The side event will start with expert presentations highlighting the science behind the interaction between land degradation and climate change and the pivotal role land can play in conferring drought and flood resilience. It will provide an opportunity to share the UNCCD SPI work on the land-drought nexus and the role the drought-smart land management in enhancing water security and building resilience. It will introduce the proactive actions that can be taken by communities on land to minimize their growing exposure and vulnerability to drought and floods. The results of the SPI work on approaches to assess drought resilience at multiple scales will be showcased. The participants will also be informed of ongoing scientific assessment of the SPI on historical aridity trends and future projections and anticipated impacts. A moderated interactive dialogue will follow the expert presentations, where experts from international institutions and policymakers from countries will exchange views. These speakers will bring practical experience from the water, land, biodiversity, and disaster risk management sectors to discuss policy needs, perceived gaps and practical implementation challenges encountered. They will also relay the opportunities for improvement in future policy development so that joint integrated solutions can be more readily pursued.  The audience will be invited to share their comments and ask the panelists. See the event flyer for more info.

This side event will feature the role of various actors to address drought proactively, across sectors and scales, putting a spotlight on options that are integrated and inclusive. The role of empower-ing vulnerable populations in reducing vulnerability, enhancing resilience and disaster risk reduction will be emphasized. Through a talk-show format, participants will make sense of the multi-faceted nature and interconnected approaches as well as the need for coordination, communication, and cooperation among countries, or-ganisations, and platforms to accelerate the implementation of the water action agenda. The role of comprehensive proactive policies to identify solutions, minimizing cross-sectoral trade-offs and harnessing synergies will be highlighted. Starting at 2PM, the event will be broadcast live on UN Web TV.

Land degradation remains the greatest policy blind spot in domestic and global responses to water management. Join our Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza for this UN Water Conference Nature Hub side event at 2 PM and explore how land restoration can unlock the power of nature for water security, drought resilience and ecosystem recovery: nature.org/naturehub