Recent research and debates on land degradation have put a spotlight on the role of industrial agriculture and unsustainable management of cropland and grazing land as key drivers of land degradation. The findings of the IPBES assessment report on Land Degradation and Restoration show that ‘the main direct drivers of land degradation and associated biodiversity loss are expansion of crop and grazing lands into native vegetation, unsustainable agricultural and forestry practices, climate change, and, in specific areas, urban expansion, infrastructure development and extractive industry.’

The UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework was adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its thirteenth session held in Ordos, China, in September 2017. The Framework will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Convention and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular regarding Sustainable Development Goal 15 and target 15.3: “by 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world”.

UNDP’s support to the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework aims to advance the global drive towards land degradation neutrality and contribute to the strategic objectives of the Framework as highlighted below. It is delivered through UNDP’s global network of country offices, with support from the UNDP regional hubs and centers, the Global Environmental Finance Unit and the Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and Desertification. UNDP’s 199 national projects in over 84 countries tackling land degradation, combined with global policy support, generate comprehensive results for addressing causes and barriers at global, national and local levels in an integrated manner.