Stories

In northern Colombia, snow-capped peaks tower more than 5,700 metres above the Caribbean Sea. This is the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve deemed the most irreplaceable site in the world for threatened species.Much more than a sight to behold, the range is the prime water tower for 1.8 million people, a biodiversity hotspot in a country that ranks second globally in species richness and a territory of deep spiritual significance for the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples. For them, it is Gonawindúa, or the ‘Heart of the world.’ This landscape of biocultural importance illustrates the vital role sacred natural sites around the world play in conservation, sustainable use and restoration of the land. That is particularly true for the Sierra Nevada, a land scarred by decades of conflict, charcoal mining, unsustainable agriculture and urban sprawl. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a major water tower in northern ColombiaIn response to these pressures, communities have joined forces to protect and revive their land —a testament to the indelible links between the country’s 1.9 million Indigenous people, belonging to around 100 ethnic groups, and their ancestral territories.The Heart of the World Programme, recently launched by four Indigenous organizations with support from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, looks to heal the land —including its soils, water resources and biodiversity— drawing on the best of ancestral knowledge and science. In upholding the cultural and spiritual integrity of their territory, home to nearly 350 sacred sites, the communities are also restoring vital ecosystem services like water provision for downstream populations.Arhuaco community in Serra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia“Just as the human body heals itself, the Earth can also recover as long as we stop harming it,” says environmental coordinator of the Tayrona Indigenous Confederation Dwirunney Torres. The programme, he says, has allocated 70 percent of the territory to natural regeneration and the rest to ensuring food sovereignty and agroecological ventures through 2065. The compass for the initiative is the Law of Origin, a set of ancestral principles that governs the lives of Indigenous communities and provides the basis for sustainable land use planning and land management. Its ultimate goal is achieving harmony between humans and the natural and spiritual worlds, which are seen as one.Nature-based solutionsIndigenous people in the Sierra Nevada understand the link between healthy lands and the wellbeing of communities. As a result, they are taking action to protect and restore the land to ensure the availability of clean water, nutritious food and vibrant ecosystems for generations to come. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern ColombiaInterventions range from acquiring land of cultural and environmental significance to protect it, to collecting and propagating the seeds of native species adapted to changing climatic conditions, to ensuring that degraded lands and ecosystems are allowed to regenerate. Other measures involve establishing living fences around water springs.According to the Heart of the World Programme, reconnecting and protecting the string of sacred natural sites that delimit the territory —known as the Línea Negra, or ‘Black Line’— is the main and most effective strategy to heal the land: “Recovering and inhabiting the sacred sites is important, since the mere tenure of these spaces and the exercise of [Indigenous] self-government therein, guarantees their integral protection and natural regeneration (...).”Women play an important role in these efforts, both as technical experts and as bearers of traditional knowledge.  'Heart of the World Programme,' led by Indigenous communities “As Arhuaco women, as givers of life, we have a responsibility to care for our Mother Earth” says environmental engineer Gunkeiwia Daza. In her community, women oversee native plant nurseries that are used to revive forests —and to rekindle the memory of a land where nature and culture go hand in hand. For Gonawindúa communities, restoring the land is not a mere project, but a way to keep the Heart of the World beating. Their message, summed up by Dwirunney, is clear: the solution to the world’s environmental crises will not come from technical advances alone, but from a genuine respect for the Earth and its guardians.Photo : © José Ríos/UNIC Bogota/UNCCD

The launch of this 2,028-tree forest at Démé High School in Tsévié is part of global celebrations for the Desertification and Drought Day, observed on June 17. This year’s theme is: “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities” The initiative is led in partnership with the NGO APEVIA, supported by the Togolese government and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

With nearly  80 events in over 50 countries, this year’s living map of restoration and resilience stretched across five continents—through seedling-lined schoolyards, packed football pitches and sunset-lit coastlines—bringing land back to life. In Parakou, Benin, pupils became “Forest Guards,” lining their schoolyard with rows of acacia and cheering for every watered sapling. In Garoua, Cameroon, high-schoolers pieced together a hidden-word “Sustainability Fresco,” pledging to swap single-use plastics for reusable bowls and bottles. In Lome, Togo, passion for sport sprouted hope when UNCCD Sport4Land Champion Naomi Akakpo led 200 teens on a “Race to Plant 2 028 Trees,” pausing just long enough to tuck each seedling into the soil—one tree for every Olympic year up to Los Angeles 2028. In Lagos, Nigeria fellow Champion William Troost-Ekong turned every goal of his charity match into funding for drought-resilient nurseries, greening both the pitch and the planet.  India brought a household twist: Land for Life laureate Shyam Sunder Jyani led a “Plastic-Free Kitchen” drive, replacing plastic tea strainers with metal or natural-fiber ones to keep microplastics out of the soil. From island coasts to arid heartlands, communities rallied to mark the day. Volunteers planted mangroves beside flamingo-filled lagoons in Mumbai while pop-up bands kept up the “fly-sustainable” rhythm.  Across the equator, Namibia’s students at the NamTip Winter School measured encroaching thornbush and brainstormed ways to bring grasslands back. In Mandalgovi, Mongolia’s Youth4Land Forum combined herding games with virtual-reality dunes, proving that traditional husbandry and tech savvy can share a learning space under the same felt roof. Europe and Asia stirred the senses. Praia, Cape Verde blended morna folk music with mangrove talks, while in France visitors to Paris’s Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil sipped fonio mocktails and sampled millet sauces, discovering how Sahelian drylands nourish both soil and palate. In Spain, Madrid’s Casa Árabe pulsed with poems celebrating the rebirth of the soil once lost to land degradation, and in Yinchuan, China’s national observance filled museums with hands-on displays of the Three-North Shelterbelt and desert-art workshops, inviting children to recite plant names in Mandarin, Arabic and English.  Near Los Angeles, USA volunteers at Arcadia Eco-home harvested compost by lamplight, following this year’s rallying call: “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities.”  The theme echoed across cultures and continents—braiding science, tradition, and community into a single green thread of drought-resilient hope. 

The signs are everywhere: cracked earth, dry rivers, failed crops and families forced to abandon their land. What was once seen as a rare natural disaster has become a persistent and intensifying threat. Drought is no longer confined to distant deserts or erratic seasons. It is advancing—slowly, silently—across borders and climate zones, placing unprecedented stress on people and ecosystems alike. Since 2000, the frequency and intensity of droughts have risen by 29 per cent. More than 1.4 billion people have already been affected. Economically, drought can slash a country’s GDP by up to 10 per cent and drag down growth for years. By mid-century, as much as three-quarters of the global population could face its impacts. For millions, it means far more than dry weather—it means food insecurity, water shortages, price spikes and the erosion of homes and livelihoods. And yet, unlike earthquakes or floods, drought gives us one rare advantage: time. Time to anticipate, adapt and build resilience. The challenge is not only to recognize the warning signs, but to act before the emergency unfolds. That imperative brought a wide range of stakeholders to Cologne, Germany, for the Inaugural Conference of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership held on 23-24 June 2025. Over two days of discussion and collaboration, government representatives, UN entities, financing institutions and technical experts worked to transform political intent into practical momentum. “This partnership is not another global fund. It is not just a trust fund. It is not about reacting to drought when it's too late. It is about building integrated, national systems of resilience—rooted in transparency, equity and the voices of local communities. This is how we protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems before the crisis hits,” said the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.  “If we wait until drought hits, it’s already too late. The cost—in human lives, in resources, in stability—is simply too high. This initiative is about shifting from reaction to resilience. It’s about building early warning systems, strengthening national drought plans, investing in risk mitigation and creating partnerships that are inclusive, science-based and focused on the communities most at risk. No one actor can do this alone—we need a collective, global response.” said H.E. Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, KSA.  Launched at UNCCD COP16 under the leadership of the host country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnershipwas established to help countries move beyond crisis response toward proactive drought risk reduction. At its core is the belief that resilience is not forged in crisis, but through long-term preparation—by enhancing early warning systems, adopting climate-smart agriculture, managing land and water sustainably and putting financial safeguards in place before disaster strikes. The Riyadh Partnership brings these elements together into a coordinated global framework. It offers countries access to technical assistance and funding through a dual financing model: pooled contributions to a multi-donor trust fund and direct bilateral support aligned with nationally identified priorities. The Partnership draws on existing alliances and tools, including the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the Integrated Drought Management Programme and regional initiatives such as the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI).  Moving from vision to action In Cologne, delegates reached consensus on the Riyadh Partnership's core governance structure and began outlining its operational roadmap. Financing featured prominently, with calls to mobilize diverse instruments and align efforts across existing initiatives. Key announcements included a one-billion-dollar commitment from the Islamic Development Bank for drought resilience projects by 2030, and an indication from the Global Environment Facility that its upcoming funding cycle will call for a greater focus on drought. The United Nations Capital Development Fund also proposed a de-risking mechanism to facilitate access to financing. Several partners—including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)—offered technical expertise, while others committed to strengthening synergies with frameworks such as IDRA and MGI to ensure national actions are reinforced by global coordination. Importantly, the first Steering Committee was successfully identified during the Conference, marking a critical milestone in establishing the Partnership’s long-term governance. The agreed governance structure includes a Steering Committee, Secretariat, Fund Trustee, Independent Review function and an Assembly of Partners. The UNCCD will host the Secretariat and the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office will act as Trustee. Work is now underway to finalize the Riyadh Partnership’s governance document—a foundational charter that will define roles, responsibilities and processes. This document, to be completed in the coming months, will reflect the Partnership’s inclusive, regionally representative and institutionally diverse approach. The conference concluded with broad agreement on a shared path forward. In the months ahead, work will focus on finalizing the Steering Committee, launching early flagship projects and putting in place practical financial delivery mechanisms for the most drought-prone countries.  “This is just the beginning,” said Louise Baker, Managing Director of the UNCCD Global Mechanism. “We’ve built strong momentum and now we move to implementation—bringing this partnership to life on the ground.” This energy will carry into UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia next year, where countries are expected to review initial progress, share lessons and formally integrate the Partnership into the Convention’s future work. What began in Riyadh as a bold pledge is now taking shape as a long-term platform for action—helping countries anticipate and withstand one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. 

От арктической тундры до равнинных степей всё заметнее истощаются почвы, усиливаются эрозия и деградация земель — наглядное напоминание о том, что ни один регион мира не застрахован от этих процессов.Деградация земель уже не ограничивается засушливыми территориями — сегодня это острый глобальный кризис, и страны с самым разным климатом, географией и системами землепользования ощущают его последствия. Осознание того, что проблема не знает климатических границ —напрямую затрагивая продовольственную безопасность, устойчивость к изменению климата и экономическую стабильность — выводит её в центр международной повестки,Именно поэтому Конвенция ООН по борьбе с опустыниванием (КБО) — единственный в мире юридически обязывающий договор по вопросам земель и почв — ставит во главу угла приоритетом сотрудничество между регионами и секторами для услешного решения проблемы.Россия, ещё недавно считавшаяся страной за пределами зоны риска опустынивания, сегодня сталкивается с деградацией земель по нескольким направлениям. Хотя пустыни занимают лишь небольшую часть её огромной территории, 85 процентов сельскохозяйственного производства сосредоточены всего на семь процентов земель — и именно они наиболее уязвимы. В 2023 году в стране официально зафиксировано 1,1 млн га деградированных земель; площадь растёт примерно на 42 тыс. га ежегодно. Главный фактор — промышленность, на сельское хозяйство приходится 18 процентов.Именно эти вопросы оказались в центре внимания недавнего круглого столе в Доме ООН в Москве, где были подведены итоги 16-й Конференции Сторон Конвенции (КС-16) и oценено их значение для России. Встречу организовал фонд «Природа и человек» — первый и единственный аккредитованный российский наблюдатель при Конвенции. В дискуссии участвовали представители власти, науки, гражданского общества и международных организаций.Один из ключевых выводов, полностью созвучный итогам КС-16: угрозу деградацию земель нужно учитывать во всех экосистемах, включая бореальные и арктические. Российские учёные отметили, что методики, разработанные для оценки опустынивания в засушливых регионах, уже успешно адаптированы к северным широтам. Такой подход отражает современный научный подход, связывающих здоровье почв с климатической устойчивостью, биоразнообразием и продовольственной безопасностью.Начальник отдела науки, технологий и инноваций КВО Джонс Мулесо Карика подчеркнул: «Переход от узкого фокуса на опустынивании и засухи к борьбе с “тихим кризисом” деградации земель во всех экосистемах демонстрирует стратегическое изменение подхода к проблеме. Конвенция объединяет страны, сталкивающиеся с деградацией из-за обезлесения, урбанизации, эрозии почв и других факторов». Он особо отметил роль науки в поиске устойчивых решений.Первый заместитель председателя Комиссии Общественной палаты России по экологии Николай Доронин привёл тревожные данные: в 2023 году деградированными признаны 1,1 млн га, что превышает площадь Кипра или Ливана и сопоставимо с территорией Катара, причем 18 процентов этих земель — сельхозугодья.Спутниковый мониторинг, улучшенные посадочные материалы, биотехнологии восстановления и другие современные решения становятся ключевыми инструментами. Российские научные центры разрабатывают передовые методы мониторинга, классификации и адаптивного восстановления, но их успех зависит от координации усилий, стабильного финансирования и законодательной поддержки.Отдельная тема — ответственность бизнеса. Участники встречи призвали предпринимателей взять на себя ответственность за земельные ресурсы, которые они используют, особенно учитывая, что многие деградированные земли находятся в промышленных зонах и рядом с ними. Выступающие были единодушны в том, что  деградация земель — общая проблема, требующая совместных действий всех секторов.Готовясь к следующей встрече КБО КС-17 в Монголии, российские организации уже готовят новые научные разработки и законодательные рекомендации, опираясь на национальный опыт мониторинга земельных ресурсов, обмена знаниями и межсекторального планирования. Круглый стол показал: деградация земель уже не воспринимается как периферийная тема. По мере того как повестка Конвенции развивается, а деградация выходит за национальные и экосистемные границы, становится ясно: опустынивание больше не локальная проблема. Россия готова поддержатъ эту работу как  многолетним опыт, так и новейшими научными подходами.Деградация земель не знает границ. И чтобы ей противостоять, необходимо мыслить и действовать сообща.Подробнее о встрече — по этой ссылке. Фото: naturepeople.org

Three independent scientists will soon have the opportunity to contribute to shaping the future direction of the UNCCD through participation in the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework (IWG-FSF).This expert group, established by Decision 4/COP.16, will support the development of key elements for a post-2030 strategic framework. Its work will include a review of the current UNCCD goals and indicators, ensuring future efforts to combat desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) are informed by robust, science-based evidence and aligned with global sustainability processes.The IWG-FSF will comprise regional representatives and technical experts, including three independent scientists selected through an open call launched on 5 June 2025, following the approval of the group’s terms of reference. The selection will be based on criteria outlined in the approved terms. Please note that the earlier call issued on 19 May 2025 has been withdrawn. Interested applicants are requested to resubmit their applications.An interim report on the group’s progress is expected at CRIC 23 in December 2025.