As one of the countries most affected by climate change, desertification and drought, Turkey has a vision: to a build a future where the land is healthy and productive. Turkey recognizes that it is the health and productivity of the land and soil that will determine the future prosperity and security of humankind. By securing the health and productivity of its own land and then sharing its skills and experience internationally, particularly with African countries, for the benefit of future generations, Turkey is blazing a trail.

This brochure highlights how Turkey is working with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) secretariat to deliver that vision. A rich legacy of its role as host of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties in 2015 (COP 12), the Ankara Initiative is helping Parties and civil society to achieve their bold and ambitious targets for land degradation neutrality (LDN), building the resilience of communities to drought and boosting political engagement and policy coherence.

The Ankara Initiative demonstratesTurkey’s commitment to the future by addressing the socioeconomic factors driving land degradation and by engaging people and making policy more relevant and efficient. Indeed, the Ankara Initiative is putting people at the centre of decision-making by supporting integrated land use planning and reducing the risk of drought for the most vulnerable.

Land is an essential part of our life support system. It is the key building block of our societies and economies. Today, the pressure on global land resources is greater than ever and this pressure is expected to continue growing. A rapidly increasing population coupled with rising levels of consumption is placing ever-larger demands on our land and other natural resources. This results in growing competition for access to productive land and, in many cases, a collapse in the land’s ability to provide the goods and services we all need to survive.Continuing with business as usual is a recipe for disaster.