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 À l’heure où les pressions sur les terres, les systèmes alimentaires et les ressources en eau s’intensifient à l’échelle mondiale, les préparatifs de la dix-septième session de la Conférence des Parties (COP17) à la Convention des Nations Unies sur la lutte contre la désertification (CNULCD) entrent dans une phase décisive. À l’occasion d’une visite de deux jours à Oulan-Bator, la Secrétaire exécutive de la CNULCD, Yasmine Fouad, s’est entretenue avec les autorités mongoles afin de faire avancer les préparatifs de la COP17, qui se tiendra dans la capitale mongole du 17 au 28 août 2026 sous le thème « Restaurer les terres, restaurer l’espoir ». Cette dynamique s’inscrit dans un contexte de pressions mondiales croissantes sur les terres et les ressources naturelles. Jusqu’à 40 % des terres de la planète sont déjà dégradées, compromettant la production alimentaire, la disponibilité de l’eau et les moyens de subsistance. Parallèlement, les sécheresses ont augmenté de près d’un tiers depuis 2000, accentuant la pression sur les communautés, en particulier dans les zones arides où les populations dépendent directement de la santé des terres pour leur survie. À elle seule, la sécheresse coûte déjà à l’économie mondiale au moins 300 milliards de dollars par an, avec des répercussions en cascade sur les systèmes alimentaires, les chaînes d’approvisionnement et les moyens de subsistance. Du défi mondial à la réalité nationale En Mongolie, ces enjeux sont bien concrets. Près de 77 % des terres sont touchées par la dégradation, tandis que la fréquence accrue des sécheresses, suivies d’hivers rigoureux, exerce une pression croissante sur les moyens de subsistance pastoraux, pilier de l’économie et mode de vie pour environ un tiers de la population. Ces pressions reflètent des tendances mondiales plus larges. Les parcours, qui couvrent plus de la moitié des terres émergées et font vivre près de deux milliards de personnes, subissent une pression croissante liée au changement climatique et à des modes d’utilisation non durables, avec jusqu’à la moitié déjà dégradée ou menacée. La baisse de la fertilité des sols, la diminution de la capacité de rétention d’eau et la dégradation des écosystèmes affectent déjà la production alimentaire, les revenus et la résilience. Dans le même temps, des réponses se mettent en place. Des initiatives nationales en matière de restauration des terres, de gestion des parcours et de systèmes d’élevage durables contribuent à relever ces défis, tout en démontrant que durabilité environnementale et résilience économique peuvent aller de pair. Une conférence tournée vers les résultats Les discussions lors de la visite ont porté à la fois sur l’organisation de la COP17 et sur la nécessité d’en garantir des résultats concrets et mesurables. Cela implique notamment d’accroître les investissements dans la restauration des terres et la résilience face à la sécheresse, de renforcer les systèmes alimentaires durables et de soutenir les communautés en première ligne de la dégradation des terres. « Des terres en bonne santé constituent le fondement de la sécurité alimentaire, des moyens de subsistance et de la stabilité », a déclaré la Secrétaire exécutive de la CNULCD, Dr Yasmine Fouad. « Les préparatifs de la COP17 entrent désormais dans une phase décisive. Avec la Mongolie, nous travaillons à faire en sorte que la conférence produise des résultats concrets, qu’il s’agisse d’intensifier les investissements dans la restauration des terres et la résilience face à la sécheresse, de renforcer les systèmes alimentaires ou de soutenir les communautés les plus vulnérables. » Les autorités mongoles ont également souligné leur engagement en faveur du développement vert et leur volonté de faire de la COP17 une opportunité pour renforcer l’action aux niveaux national et mondial. « La désertification est devenue un enjeu qui affecte le cadre de vie de chaque citoyen de notre pays. Le Gouvernement mongol fera du développement vert une priorité nationale. Nous soumettrons une loi sur le changement climatique au Grand Khoural d’État (Parlement). Nous porterons notre politique de développement vert sur la scène internationale, attirerons des investissements et créerons de nouvelles opportunités. Nous accélérerons également le développement des infrastructures et des projets », a déclaré UchralNyam-Osor, Premier ministre de Mongolie. Pourquoi c’est important aujourd’hui La dégradation des terres et la sécheresse sont de plus en plus perçues comme des facteurs multiplicateurs de risques. Elles exacerbent la concurrence pour les terres et l’eau, fragilisent les moyens de subsistance et peuvent contribuer aux déplacements de population et à l’instabilité. Dans de nombreuses régions du monde, ces pressions sont déjà liées à une insécurité alimentaire croissante et à des tensions sociales et économiques accrues. Lorsque les terres ne peuvent plus subvenir aux besoins des communautés, les répercussions se font sentir à tous les niveaux, des moyens de subsistance locaux à la stabilité nationale. Leurs effets dépassent largement le seul cadre environnemental, influençant les systèmes alimentaires, la résilience économique et la cohésion sociale, en particulier dans les régions déjà fragilisées. Répondre à ces défis n’est donc pas seulement une priorité environnementale, mais aussi un enjeu de développement et d’économie. C’est également un investissement dans la stabilité, permettant de réduire la pression sur des ressources limitées, de renforcer les moyens de subsistance et de soutenir des communautés plus résilientes. Perspectives pour la COP17 La COP17 réunira gouvernements, institutions financières, scientifiques, société civile et secteur privé afin d’accélérer l’action en matière de restauration des terres et de résilience face à la sécheresse. Parmi les priorités figurent l’augmentation des financements, le renforcement de la préparation face aux sécheresses, la promotion de la gestion durable des terres et la mise en valeur du rôle des parcours et des communautés pastorales, notamment dans le cadre de l’Année internationale des parcours et des pasteurs en 2026. Première des conférences des Conventions de Rio en 2026, la COP17 intervient à un moment où l’ampleur du défi est évidente, tout comme le coût de l’inaction. L’enjeu est désormais de transformer les engagements en résultats concrets et de faire en sorte que les solutions se traduisent sur le terrain. En Mongolie, où ces défis sont déjà visibles, cette ambition n’a rien d’abstrait. Elle concerne ce qui se passera ensuite et l’héritage d’action que la COP17 laissera. Pour toute demande de médias  Service de presse de la CNULCD : press@unccd.int À propos de la CNULCD   La Convention des Nations Unies sur la lutte contre la désertification (CNULCD) incarne la vision et la voix mondiales pour les terres. Nous rassemblons les gouvernements, les scientifiques, les décideurs politiques, le secteur privé et les communautés autour d’une vision commune et d’une action mondiale visant à restaurer et à gérer les terres de la planète pour la durabilité de l’humanité et de la planète. Bien plus qu’un traité international signé par 197 Parties, la CNULD est un engagement multilatéral visant à atténuer les impacts actuels de la dégradation des terres et à promouvoir la gestion responsable des terres de demain afin de fournir de la nourriture, de l’eau, un logement et des opportunités économiques à tous, de manière équitable et inclusive. 

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