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 随着全球土地、粮食系统和水资源所面临的压力日益加剧，联合国防治荒漠化公约（UNCCD）第十七次缔约方大会（COP17）的筹备工作正进入关键阶段。 在对乌兰巴托进行为期两天的访问期间,UNCCD执行秘书亚斯敏·福阿德会见了蒙古领导人，以推进COP17的筹备工作。该大会将于2026年8月17日至28日在蒙古首都举行，主题为 “恢复土地，重燃希望”。 本次访问正值全球土地和自然资源压力不断加剧之际。全球高达40%的土地已经退化，严重影响粮食生产、水资源供应和人们的生计。与此同时，自2000年以来，干旱事件增加了近三分之一，这给当地社区带来了更大的压力，尤其是在旱地区域，那里的人们直接依赖健康的土地生存。 仅干旱一项每年就给全球经济造成至少3000亿美元的损失，其影响波及粮食系统、供应链和生计等各个方面。 从全球挑战到国家现实 在蒙古，这些挑战并非抽象概念。近77%的土地受到退化影响，而日益频繁的干旱和随之而来的严冬，给牧民的生计带来了越来越大的压力。牧民是蒙古经济的基石，也是其全国约三分之一人口的生活方式。 这些压力反映了更广泛的全球趋势。草原覆盖了地球陆地面积的一半以上，养育着约20亿人口，但气候变化和不可持续的土地利用正日益加剧草原的压力，其中多达一半的草原已经退化或面临退化风险。 土壤肥力下降、保水能力减弱和生态系统退化已经影响到粮食生产、收入和韧性。与此同时，各方正在努力应对。国家层面的土地恢复、牧场管理和可持续畜牧系统等举措正在帮助应对这些挑战，同时也展现了环境可持续性和经济韧性如何能够齐头并进。 聚焦落实的大会 访问期间的讨论不仅集中在 COP17 的组织安排上，也聚焦于确保大会取得具体且可衡量的成果。  这包括加大对土地恢复和抗旱能力建设的投资，加强可持续粮食系统，以及支持处于土地退化前线的社区。  “健康的土地是粮食安全、生计和稳定的基础，”UNCCD执行秘书亚斯敏·福阿德博士表示。“第十七次缔约方大会的筹备工作正进入关键阶段。我们正与蒙古国携手努力，确保大会取得切实成果，包括加大对土地恢复和抗旱能力建设的投资，加强粮食系统，以及暴露于高风险的社区。” 蒙古当局还强调了他们致力于推进绿色发展，并会将COP17 作为加强国家层面和全球行动的机会。 “荒漠化已成为影响我国每一位公民生活环境的问题。因此，蒙古国政府将绿色发展列为国家优先事项。我们将向国家大呼拉尔（议会）提交《气候变化法》。我们将向全球推广绿色发展政策，吸引投资，创造新的机遇。我们还将加快基础设施和项目开发工作。”蒙古国总理尼亚木-奥索尔·乌其日勒表示。 为何当下至关重要 土地退化和干旱日益被视为系统性的风险放大器。它们加剧了对土地和水资源的竞争，破坏了人们的生计，并可能导致流离失所和局势动荡。 在世界许多地区，这些压力已经与日益严重的粮食不安全问题以及不断加剧的社会和经济压力密切相关。当土地无法再维持社区的生存时，其影响将波及整个系统，从当地居民的生计到国家的稳定都将受到影响。 它们的影响远远超出环境范畴，塑造着粮食系统、经济韧性和社会凝聚力，尤其是在已经面临压力的地区。 因此，应对这些挑战不仅是环境方面的优先事项，在发展和经济方面也是如此。同时，这也是对稳定的投资，有助于减轻稀缺资源的压力，增强民生，并支持更具韧性的社区。 展望COP17 COP17 将汇聚各国政府、金融机构、科学家、民间社会和私营部门，以加快土地恢复和抗旱能力建设方面的行动。 重点优先事项包括扩大融资规模、加强抗旱准备、推进可持续土地管理以及提升对草原和牧民社区的关注，尤其是在 2026 年国际草原和牧民年的背景下。 作为2026年里约三公约中首个召开的缔约方大会， COP17正值重要时刻，此时挑战的规模之大以及不作为的代价之高都已显而易见。当前重点是将承诺转化为成果，并确保解决方案真正落地。 在蒙古国，挑战已然显现，这一雄心壮志并非抽象愿景。这关乎接下来的行动议程，以及COP17将带来的改变。 媒体联系 UNCCD 新闻办公室： press@unccd.int   关于《联合国防治荒漠化公约》 《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）是全球土地的共同愿景与声音。我们联合各国政府、科学家、政策制定者、私营部门和社区，共同推动全球行动，恢复和管理地球土地，以实现人类与地球的可持续发展。UNCCD 不仅仅是一份由197个缔约方签署的国际条约，更是减缓当今土地退化影响、推进未来土地治理的多边承诺，旨在为所有人公平和包容地提供食物、水、住所和经济机会。  

UNCCD Executive Secretary Dr. Yasmine Fouad visited the students of TH Köln with a simple message: land belongs to all of us.

Standing on a rocky stretch just outside Riyadh, the land opens out in every direction, sand, stone and dry air, with little to interrupt it. It is a landscape shaped by scarcity, where water is limited and vegetation survives under pressure. That strain is increasing as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes more unpredictable.This pressure is not unique to Saudi Arabia. Globally, land degradation is accelerating. It affects up to 40 per cent of the land globally and puts nearly half of humanity at risk, even as countries have committed to restoring one billion hectares by 2030.In this context, Saudi Arabia, in just four years, has restored its first one million hectares of degraded land under the Saudi Green Initiative, its national programme launched as part of Vision 2030 to scale up land restoration, increase vegetation cover and strengthen ecosystem resilience.What makes this milestone relevant beyond the country are its scale, and where and how it was delivered.The challenges, where restoration is happening and how it is being doneThe restored land is not located in a single area. It spans multiple regions and ecosystems, including the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, the Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Royal Reserve, Sharaan Nature Reserve in AlUla and Qassim National Park, among others.These areas vary in their ecological conditions and land-use pressures. They include landscapes under stress and protected areas undergoing active rehabilitation. Working across such varied conditions requires a structured approach. In Saudi Arabia, restoration efforts are guided by ecological assessments that determine what each landscape can sustain. Native species are used to improve survival rates, while water use is carefully managed to reduce pressure on already limited resources.Restoration is supported by complementary measures, including expanding protected areas, improving early warning systems for sand and dust storms, and strengthening climate adaptation tools.Equally important is how results are verified. Satellite monitoring, geographic information systems and field inspections are combined to assess changes in vegetation cover, soil stability and land productivity.This makes it possible to track progress consistently and helps build confidence that restoration efforts are delivering tangible ecological outcomes.Going to scale and linking national action to global targetsThe scale of land degradation has led to global targets that are equally ambitious. Through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), countries are committed to restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. To advance these global commitments, the Group of 20 countries (G20) through the Global Land Initiative hosted by UNCCD, is committed to reducing degraded land by 50 per cent by 2040, underscoring the importance of scaling restoration across all ecosystems. Through this initiative, countries are promoting large-scale restoration, exchanging practical experiences across different contexts and engaging the private sector to mobilize the required investments.Saudi Arabia’s progress provides one example of how to restore land at scale across different landscapes, including in environments where water scarcity and climate conditions make recovery more complex. UNCCD Executive Secretary Dr Yasmine Fouad notes: “The priority now is scaling what works. What this experience shows is that restoration can be delivered across vastly different landscapes, including in water-scarce environments, when it is supported by the right policies, science and long-term commitment. This is essential if global targets are to be met.”This work also draws on approaches supported by UNCCD, including monitoring frameworks, tracking land degradation in real time and knowledge-sharing across countries.Restoring land brings a wide range of benefits. Improved land productivity, more stable soils and restored vegetation help communities withstand drought, protect livelihoods and reduce long-term risks linked to land degradation. In many of these areas, restoration is closely linked to livelihoods, particularly in rangelands where land conditions directly affect pastoral communities. By engaging the private sector, there is growing momentum to create new jobs built on a budding restoration industry. Carrying momentum forwardSaudi Arabia hosted the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UNCCD in Riyadh in December 2024, where countries called for scaling up action on land restoration, strengthening drought resilience and increasing investment. Often, the vital role COP hosting plays in mobilizing political will to restore land at country level is often underestimated. The COP16 shift and momentum from commitment to implementation is expected to continue at COP17, which will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026.The challenge now is less about identifying solutions and more about applying them at scale across different regions and ecosystems.Restoring land in arid environments is complex. Limited water availability, long recovery periods and the need for sustained monitoring mean that results depend on long-term commitment.What this experience makes clear is that restoration is already moving from commitment to implementation, including in the most constrained environments, and bringing with it multiple benefits – from jobs and livelihoods to resilience, long-term stability and security.

The UNCCD and the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) are launching the Land and Drought Media Reporting Fellowship for six journalists to cover COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (August 17–28, 2026).

New global assessment reveals deep gaps in land tenure security, governance and women’s land rights  For billions of people, land is more than property. It is their livelihood, income, identity and stability. Yet that stability is increasingly fragile. Only about one-third of the world’s land is formally documented. More than one billion people – nearly one in four adults globally – feel insecure about their rights to land or housing and fear they could lose them within the next five years. A new global assessment, The Status of Land Tenure and Governance, sheds light on this growing insecurity. Co-published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Land Coalition and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), under the Global Land Observatory, it brings together data from governments, researchers and civil society to show who holds land, how secure those rights are and where governance gaps remain. With up to 40 per cent of the world’s land already degraded, secure land tenure is essential to restoring land at scale. A widening gap between land management and recognition Although states legally own most of the world’s land, much of it is governed in practice through customary systems. Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage 42 per cent of global land, yet only a small portion of those territories are formally recognized as theirs. This gap between management and legal recognition means that many communities who depend on land do not have formal protection of their rights.  In contexts characterized by high land concentration and ongoing large-scale land acquisitions, the absence of recognition can leave customary landholders with limited legal safeguards. Where land rights are unclear or unprotected, adoption of sustainable land management practices becomes more difficult. Farmers and communities are less likely to invest in restoring degraded soils, conserving water, or adopting sustainable practices if their claims to land are uncertain. “The findings of the Status of Land Tenure and Governance Report confirm that secure and equitable land tenure is a prerequisite for sustainable land management,” said Ward Anseeuw, Senior Land Tenure Officer at FAO. “Strengthening land governance is therefore essential to achieving the objectives of the UNCCD, particularly in advancing land degradation neutrality and enabling local land users to invest confidently in the long-term health and productivity of their land.” Rising insecurity and persistent inequality Land insecurity is increasing globally. Since 2020, the share of adults who feel insecure about their land or housing rights has risen from 19 per cent to 23 per cent worldwide – affecting more than 1.1 billion people. In several regions, more than one-quarter of adults' report feeling insecure, with youth facing particularly high levels of uncertainty. Gender disparities remain pronounced. Across 108 countries assessed, 48 per cent of men report being sole or joint landowners, compared to 40 per cent of women. In agricultural contexts, the gap is often wider. Women produce roughly half of the world’s food yet own less than one-fifth of land globally. Where women lack secure tenure – due to inheritance barriers, limited legal protections or discriminatory customary norms - their ability to invest in soil restoration and sustainable practices is constrained. Advancing women’s land rights is therefore not only a matter of equality. It is essential for resilient food systems and sustainable land management. Customary lands, climate and resilience Customary land systems often overlap with areas of high biodiversity and significant carbon storage. Communities managing these territories have demonstrated long-standing stewardship practices that contribute to ecosystem stability. Healthy land, including soils and water, plays a significant role in climate mitigation and adaptation. According to the UNCCD estimates, drought losses now exceed USD 300 billion annually, and large parts of the world are becoming progressively drier. Billions of people could face increasing aridity in the coming decades. In this context, strengthening recognition of customary tenure is not only about justice – it is about safeguarding ecosystems and supporting communities that are already on the frontlines of climate stress. A structural data and governance gap Land is central to food security, climate action and sustainable development – yet information about land tenure arrangements and the security of those rights remains patchy. Only a limited number of countries report fully on land-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators. Compared to sectors such as health or public finance, land tenure data are far less available and often not publicly accessible. The assessment calls for stronger national data systems, clearer legal frameworks and better alignment with international standards, including the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security and supported by FAO – the only globally agreed framework that sets standards for how land tenure rights should be recognized and protected. These guidelines form the foundation for a number of critical policy decisions of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties.  Without reliable and transparent information, it becomes harder for governments to track progress and meet commitments under the SDGs and the Rio Conventions – the three global agreements on climate change, biodiversity and desertification. Governance at the heart of restoration These themes were further explored during a joint side event convened by the UNCCD together with TMG Think Tank for Sustainability – an independent research and policy institute focused on land governance and environmental justice – as well as the Robert Bosch Foundation and other partners. The discussion underscored that restoration, food security, and resilience cannot be separated from land governance systems. Transparent land administration, inclusive decision-making, and legal certainty are foundational conditions for sustainable land management. Governments have pledged to restore one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, with nearly half of that commitment under the UNCCD framework. Achieving this ambition will require more than finance and technical solutions. It will require trust and equity for the people who depend on the land. “Land underpins food systems, climate stability and livelihoods,” said Dr Barron Joseph Orr, Chief Scientist of the UNCCD. “Without responsible and inclusive land governance that safeguards land tenure, the intended positive impacts of restoration efforts risk being temporary. Securing land rights is not simply about the four "R's" of Redistribution, Restitution, Recognition, and Regulation - it is about creating the conditions that allow communities to restore land and sustain it for generations to come.” Photo (c) : FORESCA

Across Southern Africa, drought is no longer an occasional shock — it is a recurring reality shaping landscapes, economies and daily life. As climate variability increases, pressure on land, water systems and rural livelihoods continues to grow. In Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar, the impacts are increasingly severe and they fall hardest on women and local communities who depend on land and natural resources to feed families and earn an income. In Madagascar, more than 9 million hectares (over 15 per cent of the country’s land area) are affected by drought, with some regions experiencing near-total crop failure during prolonged dry events. Mozambique faces frequent seasonal droughts that threaten food security for over 4 million people, particularly in its central and southern provinces. In Zimbabwe, recurring drought episodes have put nearly three million hectares of farmland at risk, with smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities most affected. Across these countries, drought disproportionately impacts women, who make up the majority of smallholder farmers, and other vulnerable groups dependent on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. Yet the story is not only about risk. It is also about opportunity: how these countries are designing gender-smart, community-led solutions that turn drought resilience into livelihoods, restore degraded land and protect food and income while advancing sustainable land management and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). A key shift is placing women and local communities at the center — not only as beneficiaries, but as leaders of resilient livelihoods and value chains. This means recognizing women’s role in managing farms, water and household food security while tackling the barriers they face in accessing land, finance, skills, markets and decision-making. It also means strengthening community institutions so local knowledge and priorities shape what resilience looks like on the ground. Another big change is using drought risk data together with economic and livelihood analysis to identify where resilience investments can create real opportunities. In practice, this helps countries move from broad vulnerability profiles to concrete ideas that match local realities: which landscapes are most at risk, which groups are most exposed, what options can reduce pressure on land and water, and which interventions can generate reliable incomes even during dry periods. Countries are also working to develop scalable investment ideas — from climate-resilient agriculture to water management — that can attract blended finance and align with national priorities. Examples discussed through this work include community-based water management that secures access during dry spells, climate-resilient agriculture that stabilizes yields, and women-led enterprises that diversify income while reducing vulnerability and restoring degraded land. These solutions are designed to be practical, locally anchored and capable of expanding beyond pilot sites. “Women and local communities are already on the front line of drought. When they lead the solutions — supported by secure land tenure together with access to finance and investment-ready plans — resilience becomes real: it protects food and incomes today and restores land for generations to come,” emphasizes Louise Baker, Managing Director of the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. This work is being advanced through the Gender-Transformative Drought Resilience in Transition States in Southern Africa (GRDSA) Project, supporting Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to help countries prepare drought investment plans, strategies and pipelines. The GRDSA Project does not finance investments directly. Instead, it focuses on project preparation so countries can later mobilize additional public and private finance, building on existing national policies, drought monitoring systems and vulnerability assessments rather than duplicating them. National inception workshops held in 2025, alongside a regional exchange, helped set this work in motion. The project is financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Canada and implemented by the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD. Photography (c) : Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, Krees Raharison