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Los preparativos para la 17.ª sesión de la Conferencia de las Partes (COP17) de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación entran en una fase decisiva, mientras la presión sobre las tierras, los sistemas alimentarios y el agua siguen enaumento a nivel mundial. Durante una visita de dos días a Ulán Bator, la secretaria ejecutiva de la CNULD, Yasmine Fouad, se reunió con los dirigentes de Mongolia para avanzar en la planificación de la COP17, que tendrá lugar en la capital del país del 17 al 28 de agosto de 2026 bajo el lema ‘Restaurar la tierra, restaurar la esperanza’. Hoy en día, hasta el 40 % de las tierras del mundo ya están degradadas, lo que socava la producción de alimentos, la disponibilidad de agua y los medios de vida. Al mismo tiempo, las sequías han aumentado en casi un tercio desde el año 2000, lo que supone una carga adicional para las comunidades; especialmente, en las regiones áridas, donde la salud de las tierras es clave para la supervivencia de las poblaciones locales. Solo la sequía ya le cuesta a la economía mundial más de 300,000 millones de dólares al año, con repercusiones en cadena en los sistemas alimentarios, las cadenas de suministro y los medios de vida. De desafío global a realidad nacional En Mongolia, estos desafíos no son abstractos. Casi el 77 % de la tierra está degradada en mayor o menor medida, mientras que las sequías cada vez más frecuentes, seguidas de inviernos severos, están afectando cada vez más los medios de vida pastorales, la piedra angular de la economía y el modo de vida de un tercio de la población aproximadamente. Estos fenómenos reflejan tendencias globales más amplias. Los pastizales, que cubren más de la mitad de la superficie terrestre y sustentan a unos 2.000 millones de personas, se ven cada vez más sometidos a los efectos cambio climático y el uso insostenible de la tierra, y hasta la mitad de ellos ya están degradados o en riesgo. Los suelos están perdiendo su fertilidad y su capacidad de retener agua y de sostener ecosistemas, lo que ya está afectando a la producción de alimentos, los ingresos y la resiliencia. Como respuesta, Mongolia ha lanzado iniciativas nacionales sobre restauración de la tierra, gestión de pastizales y sistemas ganaderos sostenibles para abordar estos retos y mostrar cómo la sostenibilidad medioambiental y la resiliencia económica pueden ir de la mano. Una conferencia centrada en resultados La visita de la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CNULD no solo se centró en la organización de la COP17, sino también en cómo garantizar que la conferencia produzca resultados concretos y medibles. Esto incluye aumentar la inversión en la restauración de tierras y la resiliencia ante la sequía, fortalecer los sistemas alimentarios sostenibles y apoyar a las comunidades que se encuentran en primera línea de la degradación de las tierras. “Una tierra sana es la base de la seguridad alimentaria, los medios de vida y la estabilidad”, afirmó la secretaria ejecutiva de la CNULD, Dra. Yasmine Fouad. “Los preparativos para la COP17 están entrando ahora en una fase decisiva. Junto con Mongolia, estamostrabajando para garantizar que la conferencia tenga resultados reales, desde aumentar la inversión en la restauración de tierras y la resiliencia ante la sequía hasta fortalecer los sistemas alimentarios y apoyar a las comunidades en mayor riesgo”. Las autoridades de Mongolia también hicieron hincapié en su compromiso de impulsar el desarrollo verde y aprovechar la COP17 como una oportunidad para fortalecer la acción tanto a nivel nacional como mundial. “La desertificación se ha convertido en un problema que afecta al entorno de vida de todos los ciudadanos de nuestro país. Por ello, el Gobierno de Mongolia declarará el desarrollo verde como prioridad nacional. Presentaremos la Ley sobre el Cambio Climático al Gran Khural del Estado (Parlamento). Promoveremos nuestra política de desarrollo verde a nivel mundial, atraeremos inversiones y crearemos nuevas oportunidades. También aceleraremos nuestros esfuerzos de desarrollo de infraestructuras y proyectos”, afirmó el primer ministro de Mongolia, Uchral Nyam-Osor. Una cuestión de estabilidad La degradación de tierras y la sequía cada vez tienen un mayor reconocimiento en tanto que multiplicadores de riesgos sistémicos. Intensifican la competencia por la tierra y el agua, destruyen medios de vida y pueden contribuir al desplazamiento y la inestabilidad. En muchas partes del mundo, estas presiones ya están vinculadas al aumento de la inseguridad alimentaria y al creciente estrés social y económico. Cuando la tierra ya no puede sustentar a las comunidades, los impactos se dejan sentir en todos los sistemas, desde losmedios de vida locales hasta la estabilidad nacional. Sus efectos van mucho más allá del medio ambiente, ya que condicionan los sistemas alimentarios, la resiliencia económica y la cohesión social, especialmente en regiones tensionadas. Abordar estos retos no es, por lo tanto, solo una prioridad medioambiental, sino también de desarrollo y económica. Es, además, una inversión en estabilidad, que ayuda a reducir la presión sobre los recursos escasos, a fortalecer los medios de vida y a construircomunidades más resilientes. Prioridades de la COP17 La COP17 reunirá a gobiernos, instituciones financieras, científicos, la sociedad civil y el sector privado para acelerar las medidas de restauración de la tierra y resiliencia ante la sequía. Entre las prioridades clave se incluyen ampliar la financiación, fortalecer la preparación ante la sequía, avanzar en la gestión sostenible de tierras y la revalorizar el papel de los pastizales y las comunidades pastorales, especialmente en el contexto del Año Internacional de los Pastizales y los Pastores en 2026. Como la primera de las tres COP de las Convenciones de Río en 2026, la COP17 llega en un momento en el que tanto magnitud del desafío, como el coste de la inacción, son patentes. La atención se centra ahora en convertir los compromisos en resultados y garantizarque las soluciones lleguen al terreno. En Mongolia y tantos otros lugares donde los retos ya son evidentes, esta ambición no es algo abstracto. De ahí la importancia de los próximos pasos y del legado de las medidas que se adopten en la COP17. Para consultas de los medios de comunicación Oficina de Prensa de la CNULD: press@unccd.int Acerca de la CNULD  La Convención de las Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación (CNULD) es la visión y la voz global para las tierras. Unimos a gobiernos, científicos, responsables políticos, el sector privado y las comunidades en torno a una visión compartida y una acciónglobal para restaurar y gestionar las tierras del mundo en favor de la sostenibilidad de la humanidad y del planeta. Mucho más que un tratado internacional firmado por 197 Partes, la CNULD es un compromiso multilateral para mitigar los impactos actuales de la degradación de las tierras y promover la gestión responsable de las tierras en el futuro, con el fin de proporcionar alimentos, agua, refugio y oportunidades económicas a todas las personas de manera equitativa e inclusiva.  

UNCCD Executive Secretary Dr. Yasmine Fouad visited the students of TH Köln with a simple message: land belongs to all of us.

Standing on a rocky stretch just outside Riyadh, the land opens out in every direction, sand, stone and dry air, with little to interrupt it. It is a landscape shaped by scarcity, where water is limited and vegetation survives under pressure. That strain is increasing as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes more unpredictable.This pressure is not unique to Saudi Arabia. Globally, land degradation is accelerating. It affects up to 40 per cent of the land globally and puts nearly half of humanity at risk, even as countries have committed to restoring one billion hectares by 2030.In this context, Saudi Arabia, in just four years, has restored its first one million hectares of degraded land under the Saudi Green Initiative, its national programme launched as part of Vision 2030 to scale up land restoration, increase vegetation cover and strengthen ecosystem resilience.What makes this milestone relevant beyond the country are its scale, and where and how it was delivered.The challenges, where restoration is happening and how it is being doneThe restored land is not located in a single area. It spans multiple regions and ecosystems, including the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve, Sharaan Nature Reserve in AlUla and Qassim National Park, among others.These areas vary in their ecological conditions and land-use pressures. They include landscapes under stress and protected areas undergoing active rehabilitation. Working across such varied conditions requires a structured approach. In Saudi Arabia, restoration efforts are guided by ecological assessments that determine what each landscape can sustain. Native species are used to improve survival rates, while water use is carefully managed to reduce pressure on already limited resources.Restoration is supported by complementary measures, including expanding protected areas, improving early warning systems for sand and dust storms, and strengthening climate adaptation tools.Equally important is how results are verified. Satellite monitoring, geographic information systems and field inspections are combined to assess changes in vegetation cover, soil stability and land productivity.This makes it possible to track progress consistently and helps build confidence that restoration efforts are delivering tangible ecological outcomes.Going to scale and linking national action to global targetsThe scale of land degradation has led to global targets that are equally ambitious. Through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), countries are committed to restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. To advance these global commitments, the Group of 20 countries (G20) through the Global Land Initiative hosted by UNCCD, is committed to reducing degraded land by 50 per cent by 2040, underscoring the importance of scaling restoration across all ecosystems. Through this initiative, countries are promoting large-scale restoration, exchanging practical experiences across different contexts and engaging the private sector to mobilize the required investments.Saudi Arabia’s progress provides one example of how to restore land at scale across different landscapes, including in environments where water scarcity and climate conditions make recovery more complex. UNCCD Executive Secretary Dr Yasmine Fouad notes: “The priority now is scaling what works. What this experience shows is that restoration can be delivered across vastly different landscapes, including in water-scarce environments, when it is supported by the right policies, science and long-term commitment. This is essential if global targets are to be met.”This work also draws on approaches supported by UNCCD, including monitoring frameworks, tracking land degradation in real time and knowledge-sharing across countries.Restoring land brings a wide range of benefits. Improved land productivity, more stable soils and restored vegetation help communities withstand drought, protect livelihoods and reduce long-term risks linked to land degradation. In many of these areas, restoration is closely linked to livelihoods, particularly in rangelands where land conditions directly affect pastoral communities. By engaging the private sector, there is growing momentum to create new jobs built on a budding restoration industry. Carrying momentum forwardSaudi Arabia hosted the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UNCCD in Riyadh in December 2024, where countries called for scaling up action on land restoration, strengthening drought resilience and increasing investment. Often, the vital role COP hosting plays in mobilizing political will to restore land at country level is often underestimated. The COP16 shift and momentum from commitment to implementation is expected to continue at COP17, which will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026.The challenge now is less about identifying solutions and more about applying them at scale across different regions and ecosystems.Restoring land in arid environments is complex. Limited water availability, long recovery periods and the need for sustained monitoring mean that results depend on long-term commitment.What this experience makes clear is that restoration is already moving from commitment to implementation, including in the most constrained environments, and bringing with it multiple benefits – from jobs and livelihoods to resilience, long-term stability and security.

The UNCCD and the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) are launching the Land and Drought Media Reporting Fellowship for six journalists to cover COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (August 17–28, 2026).

New global assessment reveals deep gaps in land tenure security, governance and women’s land rights  For billions of people, land is more than property. It is their livelihood, income, identity and stability. Yet that stability is increasingly fragile. Only about one-third of the world’s land is formally documented. More than one billion people – nearly one in four adults globally – feel insecure about their rights to land or housing and fear they could lose them within the next five years. A new global assessment, The Status of Land Tenure and Governance, sheds light on this growing insecurity. Co-published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Land Coalition and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), under the Global Land Observatory, it brings together data from governments, researchers and civil society to show who holds land, how secure those rights are and where governance gaps remain. With up to 40 per cent of the world’s land already degraded, secure land tenure is essential to restoring land at scale. A widening gap between land management and recognition Although states legally own most of the world’s land, much of it is governed in practice through customary systems. Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage 42 per cent of global land, yet only a small portion of those territories are formally recognized as theirs. This gap between management and legal recognition means that many communities who depend on land do not have formal protection of their rights.  In contexts characterized by high land concentration and ongoing large-scale land acquisitions, the absence of recognition can leave customary landholders with limited legal safeguards. Where land rights are unclear or unprotected, adoption of sustainable land management practices becomes more difficult. Farmers and communities are less likely to invest in restoring degraded soils, conserving water, or adopting sustainable practices if their claims to land are uncertain. “The findings of the Status of Land Tenure and Governance Report confirm that secure and equitable land tenure is a prerequisite for sustainable land management,” said Ward Anseeuw, Senior Land Tenure Officer at FAO. “Strengthening land governance is therefore essential to achieving the objectives of the UNCCD, particularly in advancing land degradation neutrality and enabling local land users to invest confidently in the long-term health and productivity of their land.” Rising insecurity and persistent inequality Land insecurity is increasing globally. Since 2020, the share of adults who feel insecure about their land or housing rights has risen from 19 per cent to 23 per cent worldwide – affecting more than 1.1 billion people. In several regions, more than one-quarter of adults' report feeling insecure, with youth facing particularly high levels of uncertainty. Gender disparities remain pronounced. Across 108 countries assessed, 48 per cent of men report being sole or joint landowners, compared to 40 per cent of women. In agricultural contexts, the gap is often wider. Women produce roughly half of the world’s food yet own less than one-fifth of land globally. Where women lack secure tenure – due to inheritance barriers, limited legal protections or discriminatory customary norms - their ability to invest in soil restoration and sustainable practices is constrained. Advancing women’s land rights is therefore not only a matter of equality. It is essential for resilient food systems and sustainable land management. Customary lands, climate and resilience Customary land systems often overlap with areas of high biodiversity and significant carbon storage. Communities managing these territories have demonstrated long-standing stewardship practices that contribute to ecosystem stability. Healthy land, including soils and water, plays a significant role in climate mitigation and adaptation. According to the UNCCD estimates, drought losses now exceed USD 300 billion annually, and large parts of the world are becoming progressively drier. Billions of people could face increasing aridity in the coming decades. In this context, strengthening recognition of customary tenure is not only about justice – it is about safeguarding ecosystems and supporting communities that are already on the frontlines of climate stress. A structural data and governance gap Land is central to food security, climate action and sustainable development – yet information about land tenure arrangements and the security of those rights remains patchy. Only a limited number of countries report fully on land-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators. Compared to sectors such as health or public finance, land tenure data are far less available and often not publicly accessible. The assessment calls for stronger national data systems, clearer legal frameworks and better alignment with international standards, including the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security and supported by FAO – the only globally agreed framework that sets standards for how land tenure rights should be recognized and protected. These guidelines form the foundation for a number of critical policy decisions of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties.  Without reliable and transparent information, it becomes harder for governments to track progress and meet commitments under the SDGs and the Rio Conventions – the three global agreements on climate change, biodiversity and desertification. Governance at the heart of restoration These themes were further explored during a joint side event convened by the UNCCD together with TMG Think Tank for Sustainability – an independent research and policy institute focused on land governance and environmental justice – as well as the Robert Bosch Foundation and other partners. The discussion underscored that restoration, food security, and resilience cannot be separated from land governance systems. Transparent land administration, inclusive decision-making, and legal certainty are foundational conditions for sustainable land management. Governments have pledged to restore one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, with nearly half of that commitment under the UNCCD framework. Achieving this ambition will require more than finance and technical solutions. It will require trust and equity for the people who depend on the land. “Land underpins food systems, climate stability and livelihoods,” said Dr Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist of the UNCCD. “Without responsible and inclusive land governance that safeguards land tenure, the intended positive impacts of restoration efforts risk being temporary. Securing land rights is not simply about the four "R's" of Redistribution, Restitution, Recognition, and Regulation - it is about creating the conditions that allow communities to restore land and sustain it for generations to come.” Photo (c) : FORESCA

Across Southern Africa, drought is no longer an occasional shock — it is a recurring reality shaping landscapes, economies and daily life. As climate variability increases, pressure on land, water systems and rural livelihoods continues to grow. In Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar, the impacts are increasingly severe and they fall hardest on women and local communities who depend on land and natural resources to feed families and earn an income. In Madagascar, more than 9 million hectares (over 15 per cent of the country’s land area) are affected by drought, with some regions experiencing near-total crop failure during prolonged dry events. Mozambique faces frequent seasonal droughts that threaten food security for over 4 million people, particularly in its central and southern provinces. In Zimbabwe, recurring drought episodes have put nearly three million hectares of farmland at risk, with smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities most affected. Across these countries, drought disproportionately impacts women, who make up the majority of smallholder farmers, and other vulnerable groups dependent on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. Yet the story is not only about risk. It is also about opportunity: how these countries are designing gender-smart, community-led solutions that turn drought resilience into livelihoods, restore degraded land and protect food and income while advancing sustainable land management and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). A key shift is placing women and local communities at the center — not only as beneficiaries, but as leaders of resilient livelihoods and value chains. This means recognizing women’s role in managing farms, water and household food security while tackling the barriers they face in accessing land, finance, skills, markets and decision-making. It also means strengthening community institutions so local knowledge and priorities shape what resilience looks like on the ground. Another big change is using drought risk data together with economic and livelihood analysis to identify where resilience investments can create real opportunities. In practice, this helps countries move from broad vulnerability profiles to concrete ideas that match local realities: which landscapes are most at risk, which groups are most exposed, what options can reduce pressure on land and water, and which interventions can generate reliable incomes even during dry periods. Countries are also working to develop scalable investment ideas — from climate-resilient agriculture to water management — that can attract blended finance and align with national priorities. Examples discussed through this work include community-based water management that secures access during dry spells, climate-resilient agriculture that stabilizes yields, and women-led enterprises that diversify income while reducing vulnerability and restoring degraded land. These solutions are designed to be practical, locally anchored and capable of expanding beyond pilot sites. “Women and local communities are already on the front line of drought. When they lead the solutions — supported by secure land tenure together with access to finance and investment-ready plans — resilience becomes real: it protects food and incomes today and restores land for generations to come,” emphasizes Louise Baker, Managing Director of the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. This work is being advanced through the Gender-Transformative Drought Resilience in Transition States in Southern Africa (GRDSA) Project, supporting Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to help countries prepare drought investment plans, strategies and pipelines. The GRDSA Project does not finance investments directly. Instead, it focuses on project preparation so countries can later mobilize additional public and private finance, building on existing national policies, drought monitoring systems and vulnerability assessments rather than duplicating them. National inception workshops held in 2025, alongside a regional exchange, helped set this work in motion. The project is financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Canada and implemented by the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. Photography (c) : Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, Krees Raharison