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"Droughts really are changing the planet, around us. They are one of the worst impacts that we will see in terms of the human impacts of climate change," said Louise Baker, the UNCCD External Relations, Policy and Advocacy Chief at a film screening event, "When the Skies Ran Dry", on 7 December 2019. The event was part of the Climate Change Action Hub programme being held on the margins of the UN Change Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain. After screening of the documentary film, "When the Skies Run Dry", Baker and Patrick Augenstein, the producer of the film, discussed with audience impacts of drought on livelihoods and ecosystems. Creating opportunities for showing "win-win" evidence of ecosystem restoration and development was among the dialogue with the audience.  Watch the event video About land and drought

UNCCD Land Ambassador Baaba Maal returned to his native Senegal in December to headline the annual Blues de Fleuve festival and make a contribution to the global sustainable development through agriculture.

In an unprecedented public action for a greener future, 650 000 trees have been planted across Azerbaijan on 6 December 2019. This environmental campaign took place at the initiative of Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to mark the 650  anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi.   A map identifying the planting locations, most of them along highways, has been prepared by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The trees for planting have been cultivated in the sapling fields of Azerbaijan Greenery and Landscape Structure and Forestry Center of the Ministry.  The planted trees have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 2,6 thousand cubic meters per year, a significant contribution to the climate action, combating desertification and land degradation at scale. A number of government officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, public figures and representatives of civil society have joined the planting campaign. Read more: Land and climate Azerbaijan and UNCCD

The new International Knowledge Management Center on Combating Desertification opened on 5 December during the International Seminar on Desertification Control Technologies and Practices in the city of Yinchuan, Ningxia Autonomous Region, China.  

Award winning musicians Baaba Maal of Senegal and Ricky Kej of India have released a new music video Born from the Land on World Soil Day to celebrate the land. Why? Here is what they say: There is a sense of excitement and joy when musicians come together for the cause of environmental consciousness. In this case, it was a time of coming together for our land… We all thrive and depend on the land. This is our land and our home. Everything we know is an embodiment of the land and life on it. This is inspiring and the UNCCD efforts at conserving land also inspired me — Ricky Kej I am an international artist of African descent. The fight against desertification is part of my commitment to the cause of development, especially the reforestation I have been doing with the people in my country (Senegal) for several years. My participation in the song ‘Born from the Land,’ resonates with my musical work ‘Lekki’, which means the Tree, and that I interpreted during COP 14. It is therefore a pleasure to invest myself with Ricky Kej in this project for the environment, especially the fight against desertification that spares no continent — Baaba Maal To put it into perspective, consider that only 30 per cent of our planet is land. The rest is water. That small portion of the planet is source of everything all 7.5 billion of us need – food, fresh water, homes, cities and recreation areas. But every generation gets to use less and less of what the Earth once offered because it has changed a lot, mostly since 1970. Today, only about 30 per cent of the land’s original state remains. Forests, grasslands and wetlands have been converted to farmland, cities, abandoned mines or building sites or construction areas. This is making it more and more difficult for the land to store the excess carbon in the air, to hold in the ground the amount of water its once did, to absorb suck a lot of the water that hits the land from rain, hurricanes or thawing ice and to produce enough food to eat. If we continue converting natural ecosystems to other uses, only 10 per cent of the world’s natural areas will exist by 2050. My music and my efforts have always been a dedication to the environment and harmony. When I bring these inspirations together, the UNCCD Land Anthem 'Born from the Land' came to be. I had the absolute pleasure of working with some of the best musicians in the making of the official UNCCD land anthem ‘Born from the Land’. Working with fellow musicians who share the same passion for the environment helped bring this song to its full glory! — Ricky Kej Ricky Kej is known internationally as a music composer, a No.1 artist on the United States Billboard chart and a Grammy Award winner for his album titled, Winds of Samsara. Baaba Maal is a world-renowned musician from Africa. He lent his unique voice to the soundtrack of the international blockbuster Black Panther, which won an Oscar and a Grammy Award for its music score. Download the lyrics in each of the UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian

In September 2019, at the UNCCD fourteenth Conference of Parties (COP14), participants have decided to establish an intergovernmental working group (IWG), on effective policy and implementation measures for addressing drought under the UNCCD. The COP also invited Parties, international organizations and stakeholders to make submissions on: Policy, implementation and institutional coordination frameworks and implementation measures for addressing drought under the Convention: Barriers, challenges, opportunities and implementation measures in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from drought. UNCCD stakeholders are invited to submit their information until 31 January 2020 using an online form. Relevant information will serve as initial input for the work of the IWG on drought. Information regarding available drought-related tools will be shared with all parties.   Read more: Letter from the UNCCD Executive Secretary UNCCD-led Drought Toolbox Land and Drought