All publications and documents

The UNCCD is an international agreement focused on sustainable land management in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. Since its establishment in 1994, it has played a significant role in promoting legal instruments for the protection of land, both at the national and international levels. It now has a mandate to help achieve a land degradation neutral world in accordance with Target 15.3 of…

The search for sustainable solutions that are within the planetary boundaries needs to be intensified and the understanding of how these can be implemented improved, to avoid catastrophic consequences for human health and survival. New approaches towards sustainable development can produce benefits but occasionally can also have potentially adverse effects on terrestrial ecosystems or…

The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on health and livelihoods around the world. Although people are at risk of infection irrespective of their income, class, ethnicity or age, the impacts of the pandemic are likely to be acutely felt in sub-Saharan Africa. As well as health impacts, there are fears that African countries will face considerable hardship and potentially a catastrophe for…

Young people aged 15-24 are often underemployed but hold huge potential to contribute to prosperity among forest communities, according to a new report published by FAO and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Prosperity in place for youth: Meaningful work for mobile youth that enhances forest landscapes examines the drivers of youth migration from…

The data and the analyses in this report were prepared before the global crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and do not account for its impact on vulnerable people in food-crisis situations. Key findings of the Global Report The report indicates that at the close of 2019, 135 million people across 55 countries and territories experienced acute food insecurity* (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above)…

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the lasting consequences of cutbacks, privatisation and globalisation on healthcare. Political decisions have been central in shaping this tragedy — from the destruction of animal habitats, to the asymmetric funding of medical research, to the management of the crisis itself. They will also determine the world into which we all emerge after the worst is…