Developing countries, particularly those affected by drought and desertification, often find themselves confronted with the challenge of coordinating the implementation of the various environmental treaties at the national and local levels. More often than not the approach to implementation of these environmental Conventions is sectoral, and this leads to a compartmentalized outlook on key decision-making, and tends to undermine the effectiveness of implementation. This scenario exists despite the fact that, as Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – the three Rio Conventions – these countries have many possibilities to develop a synergistic approach to the issues pertaining to these treaties. The complexities and challenges associated with the effective implementation of the various multilateral environmental agreements threaten to overwhelm the administrative structures and capacities of many countries. The objectives of the three Rio Conventions are closely linked to the issues of sustainable development and environmental quality. The complexity of the interactions of climate, land degradation and biological diversity with sustainable livelihoods, particularly in areas affected by drought and desertification, needs to be simplified through a well
coordinated approach at the country level.