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数百年间，人类生活始终与土地和水息息相关——牧民依赖牧场，农民仰仗河流滋养田地。这些自然景观塑造了世界各地的文化、生计与传统。 然而当今，人为压力——气候变化、土地退化和干旱——正以惊人速度摧毁人类数百年心血。全球高达40%的土地遭受退化，威胁近半数人口。仅干旱就已影响全球超过18亿人口，使水资源系统承受前所未有的压力。这些压力不仅威胁着生态系统和生物多样性，更危及粮食安全、水资源供应和气候稳定。 在罗马举行的2025年世界粮食论坛（10月10日至17日）上，《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）与联合国粮食及农业组织（FAO）共同参与了两场对话，传递出明确信息：健康的土地与可持续的水资源管理必须相辅相成。关于原住民与牧场的联合会议强调了土地权利及这些生态系统的文化价值。在FAO主导的2025罗马水资源对话会上，社区代表分享了如何通过修复土壤、保护水源保障农作物收成，并帮助家庭应对气候变化。 论坛期间，FAO与UNCCD续签了合作伙伴关系，以加强在可持续土地、土壤和水资源管理领域的协作。 10月15日由FAO总干事屈冬玉博士与UNCCD执行秘书雅斯敏·福阿德博士签署的谅解备忘录确立了合作框架，双方将共同致力于避免、减少和逆转土地与土壤退化、增强抗旱韧性、以及促进土地恢复、农业食品系统转型与气候行动一体化解决方案。 该伙伴关系将通过《FAO-UNCCD联合行动计划》实施，该计划调动两家机构网络的专业知识，并与FAO及UNCCD的优先任务保持一致。行动计划聚焦三大核心领域：支持政策对话与能力建设以应对土地退化、增强抗旱韧性、以及推动数据驱动方法与知识共享。  世界草原的守护者 草原覆盖了地球表面的一半以上，孕育着全球三分之一的生物多样性热点地区。它们为五十亿人提供生计，储存着近三分之一的陆地碳，对气候稳定和文化遗产都至关重要。然而不可持续的经营方式和气候变化正将许多草原生态系统推向危险临界点。 对依赖牧场生存的人们而言，这种危机已成日常。牧民为寻找草场跋涉更远距离，世代相传的祖先智慧正面临威胁。妇女往往最先感受到这些影响——她们需要走更远的路运水搬柴，用微薄的收成勉强养活孩子。 但正是这些社区率先探索解决方案。妇女们正在恢复土壤肥力，保护种子资源。原住民正守护着传统治理体系与祖传智慧。地方社区竭力维系家庭生计。青年一代以创新精神连接传统与科技。他们的守护实践证明：恢复草场不仅可行，更能为所有人创造丰厚回报。 “保护原住民土地非但不是可选项，更是关乎生存、尊严与正义的命题，”UNCCD执行秘书雅斯敏·福阿德强调。“原住民和牧民是我们全球行动中不可或缺的伙伴。” 在利雅得举行的UNCCD第十六届缔约方会议（COP16）上，各国通过了首个关于牧场和牧民的全球决议，并成立了原住民核心小组。罗马会议的与会者呼吁加强土地权利保障，承认传统治理模式，并让原住民社区充分参与政策制定。与会者强调，恢复牧场不仅关乎生计保护，更涉及碳吸收、增强社区抵御气候冲击的能力以及维护生物多样性。  水作为文化、记忆与生存之源 2025年罗马水对话——联合国粮农组织关于水与农业的旗舰论坛——呼应了这一紧迫性。如今干旱发生频率较2000年高出三分之一，每年已造成全球经济跨领域损失逾3000亿美元。土地退化和干旱每年造成近9000亿美元损失。若当前趋势持续，到2050年全球四分之三人口可能面临干旱威胁。 但水不仅是经济资产，更是文化、记忆与生存的载体。当河流干涸、三角洲盐渍化，社区失去的不仅是作物，还有与之相连的故事、歌谣和生活方式。健康的土地和水系滋养家庭、调节气候、守护生物多样性。守护水土即守护生计，亦是捍卫地球维系生命的能力。 在本次对话会上，FAO、UNCCD及80余家合作伙伴展示了过去数十年的解决方案——从灌溉与降低灾害风险，到再生农业、湿地修复与可持续放牧。实证表明，每投入1美元即可在生计保障、气候韧性、粮食安全及生态系统领域获得7至30美元的回报。 “水是生命之源，更是土地、粮食与和平的基石，”UNCCD执行秘书雅斯敏·福阿德强调，“如果水系缺乏韧性，粮食系统难以持久，而健康土地则是水系韧性的根基。”  罗马发出的讯息 两场对话闭幕之际，土地与水资源的议题交织成核心共识：危机无法孤立解决。恢复草场与保障水系如同一枚硬币的两面——对粮食、气候与和平至关重要。 正如UNCCD执行秘书雅斯敏·福阿德所总结的：“通过可持续管理水资源和草场保障粮食安全将一举两得。国际社会将在《联合国防治荒漠化公约》第十七届缔约方大会上共同行动。” 会议同时强调包容性至关重要。妇女、原住民和青年不仅是受影响最严重的群体，更是解决方案的先锋力量。从萨赫勒地区修复草场的牧民，到设计气候智能工具的青年创新者，再到守护种子与传统遗产的女性，他们的领导力正在重塑未来。 随着UNCCD第十七届缔约方会议即将在蒙古召开，以及“国际牧场与牧民年”的临近，罗马发出的讯息清晰明确：工具与知识皆已具备。当下所需的是将其推广的政治意愿——既要保护维系生命的自然系统，也要守护赋予其意义的文化传承。 

The UNCCD is pleased to announce that the new version of the Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS), launched in August 2025, is ready for the upcoming 2026 UNCCD national reporting process.    In summary, PRAIS has been streamlined and enhanced through key innovations such as a country overview dashboard, expanded user roles to support teamwork, peer-to-peer chat, improved validation tools, flexible data sourcing and clearer delineation of reporting obligations to enhance the user experience. These updates are in response to requests made by Parties.   Tentative reporting deadlines   Tentative deadlines for submission of national reports are set as follows: November 2026 for Strategic Objective (SO) 1 and February 2027 for the remaining SOs. The CRIC Bureau in consultation with the Executive Secretary will monitor progress and may adjust this timeline, if necessary.  Technical support for Parties   In line with decision 2/COP.16, partner regional institutions will provide technical support to Parties during the reporting process, including the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), the Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS). Additional partnerships are being explored and consultants will fill any remaining support gaps.    A phased approach   Although the launch of PRAIS marks the beginning of the 2026 UNCCD reporting process, capacity-building and support services will be rolled out in phases, depending on the availability of funding. The phased approach is outlined below:  Phase 1 (ongoing): PRAIS launch with supporting documentation and online help desk (https://support.unccd.int); Phase 2 (December 2025): Training of Trainers in Panama for regional institutions and consultants; Phase 3 (January – April 2026): Regional in-person training for national focal points and reporting officers; Phase 4 (February - March 2026): Release of e-learning video tutorials; Phase 5 (January 2026 – February 2027): Ongoing technical backstopping and quality assurance of national reports before final submission. Following the conclusion of national reporting, the CRIC will review and analyze the submitted information at its twenty-fifth session.  In view of the phases mentioned above, Parties are encouraged to finalize arrangements and begin utilizing enabling environment funds made available by the Global Environment Facility at national level so that stakeholders can be notified and prompted to start collecting necessary data and information for integration into PRAIS.   Reporting team preparation  To begin preparations, Parties are encouraged to assemble their reporting teams under the leadership of the designated reporting officer. Each team member should have a separate PRAIS account, log into https://reporting.unccd.int and familiarize themselves with the system functions and reporting forms and review the supporting documentation.   Unless formally communicated otherwise, the UNCCD secretariat will consider that the national reporting officer from the 2022 reporting process remains in place for the 2026 reporting round. If a change is needed, the National Focal Point should submit either their own expression of interest or the contact details of the nominated individual to the secretariat via email at reporting@unccd.int.  Supporting documents to assist with reporting include:  Available now:  Addendum to the Good Practice Guidance on SDG Indicator 15.3.1 (advanced unedited version)  UNCCD Reporting Manual (updated for the 2026 reporting process and available in all UN languages)  Updated PRAIS 4 User Manual  Coming soon:  Updated e-learning video tutorials (in all UN languages)  Good Practice Guidance for National Reporting on Strategic Objective 5  For any questions regarding the reporting process or modalities, please contact the technical team via the help desk or write directly to reporting@unccd.int.  

In July 2025, Minagi Rupesinghe had the honor of representing Sri Lanka at the World Aquatics Swimming and Open Water Championships in Singapore — a lifelong dream come true.

Across Mexico’s rural and indigenous communities, land is more than a resource – it is central to daily life, food production and cultural identity. Yet for many – especially women and indigenous peoples – secure access to land remains out of reach.Over 70 per cent of Mexico’s land is at risk of degradation. At the same time, women – who produce more than half of the country’s food – own less than 30 per cent of farmland. This growing gap between those who care for the land and those who control it threatens sustainable land use. Without secure land rights, many are excluded from decisions that shape their environment and future.To tackle these challenges, Mexico launched a series of national consultations on land tenure and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). Designed to improve land governance systems, the consultations emphasized gender equality, indigenous rights and local perspectives as key pillars of the country’s LDN strategy.Held across several regions, they brought together 45 participants – 30 women and 15 men – including indigenous leaders from Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Sonora and other states. Almost all of these leaders were women, who shared their experiences managing community lands and protecting ecosystems.The Changwon Initiative: Making inclusion possibleThe consultations were made possible in part by support from the Changwon Initiative – a programme of the Korea Forest Service and UNCCD – with additional backing from international partners. Funding through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) helped cover key logistical costs, ensuring rural and indigenous voices could be heard.This support ensured that traditionally excluded groups – especially indigenous women from ejidos (communal lands) – were not only present, but central to the dialogue. Many shared firsthand stories about barriers to land inheritance, being sidelined in local decision-making and the urgent need to revive degraded soil and ecosystems.“Women living in the countryside are becoming the protagonists of social, political and economic change,” said Dr. Maribel Méndez de Lara, Magistrate of the Superior Agrarian Court. “Land ownership gives women legal protection, autonomy to make decisions and the ability to fully participate in their communities.”From dialogue to actionThe consultations generated concrete proposals, including a Strategic National Programme to regularize land rights for women and indigenous communities, legal guarantees of female representation in ejido decision-making bodies and greater integration of sustainable practices into collective land systems.Participants – particularly rural and indigenous women – gained skills through leadership training, project planning workshops and awareness campaigns that emphasized their right to land and participation in land governance. Government officials and policymakers also benefited, gaining a better understanding of how to design more inclusive land governance systems that truly reflect community needs.“There are 13.6 million women living in rural areas in Mexico,” said Dr. Beatriz Casas Arellanes, Director of Social and Political Participation for Equality of the National Women's Institute (INMUJERES),. “Many of them are already leading community life and preserving biodiversity. What they need is recognition and access to rights.”Innovative tools and approachesThe consultations were guided by a participatory approach developed under the UNCCD–FAO Joint Initiative and based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT). Adapted to Mexico’s social and political context, this method ensured that rural leaders, women, government officials and international experts all had a voice.Gender-sensitive tools were used not just to include women, but to ensure their perspectives shaped the outcome.The Dialogue opened with a ceremonial offering called a Tlalmanalli, led by indigenous grandmothers. Made of flowers, seeds and traditional medicines, it served as a reminder that the Earth is alive – and its care, a shared responsibility.Participants also shared inspiring examples already underway, such as mobile legal clinics helping women resolve land disputes and forestry programmes advancing gender equality – small but meaningful signs of change.Lessons learned and the path forwardOne of the key lessons from the consultations is that long-term progress on land tenure requires consistent effort, strong coordination and engagement at all levels. Local and regional consultations – alongside national ones – proved essential for identifying the diverse challenges communities face across the country.Just as important was the finding that inclusive participation leads to better, more grounded solutions. When women, indigenous leaders and local actors are part of the process, outcomes are more relevant – and more likely to last.While the broader policy impact is still unfolding, the consultations helped establish a foundation for more inclusive land governance in Mexico. These conversations laid the groundwork for future strategies and reforms that reflect the realities of those who live and work on the land.Shaping the future of land rights and restorationThe Changwon Initiative played a pivotal role in making these consultations possible – not only by providing funding, but by championing inclusion as a core principle of land restoration. Its support helped ensure that rural and indigenous voices, especially those of women, were not just heard but helped shape the conversation.By backing this process, the Changwon Initiative demonstrated how targeted international cooperation can drive national progress – setting a global example for integrating land tenure security into LDN strategies.Thanks to this support, communities across Mexico now have stronger tools – and a stronger voice – to secure their land, protect their environment and build a more sustainable and inclusive future.

A ceremonial tree planting at the Monaghan Peace Campus today marked the official launch of The People’s Peace Forest (PPF)—Ireland’s contribution to the UNCCD Peace Forest Initiative – a global programme that links land restoration with peace-building.

How the Changwon Initiative helped build the UNCCD Drought ToolboxDrought is no longer a rare or distant event. It is becoming one of the most serious and far-reaching challenges of our time. Since 2000, droughts have become 29 percent more frequent and intense. By 2050, as much as three-quarters of the world’s population could be affected.For millions of people, this means more than just dry weather — it means failed harvests, shrinking water supplies, rising food prices and displacement from their homes and livelihoods.But drought, unlike sudden disasters, offers a unique opportunity: it gives us time. And when time is used wisely, it can turn risk into readiness.From crisis to preparedness: The birth of the Drought ToolboxFaced with the growing impact of drought, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) recognized the need for a shift — from reacting to crises after they hit, to preparing before they begin. This led to the creation of the Drought Toolbox: a science-based, globally accessible platform that helps countries and communities assess, monitor and reduce drought risk.Designed as a practical support tool, the Toolbox brings together resources for developing national drought plans, identifying vulnerable areas, setting up early warning systems and learning from real-world examples of drought resilience. Behind this comprehensive platform lies a key driver: the Changwon Initiative.The Changwon Initiative: Turning vision into actionLaunched by the Korea Forest Service in partnership with the UNCCD, the Changwon Initiative was instrumental in transforming the Drought Toolbox from concept to reality. Through targeted funding and technical support, the Initiative helped bring together global experts, institutions and local stakeholders to co-create the platform.Workshops convened with its support became spaces for cross-sector collaboration. Government agencies, scientists and land managers worked side by side to align methodologies, share regional knowledge and design an interface that could speak to both policymakers and practitioners. The result was not just a digital tool, but a living, evolving resource for drought resilience.When Tools Reach People: Global Examples of ImpactAcross the world, the Drought Toolbox is helping countries move from crisis response to long-term resilience — with real results on the ground. In Costa Rica, it became the foundation for a national workshop that brought together ministries, improved coordination and led to drought strategies based on shared data and clear priorities. In Andhra Pradesh, India, local leaders used the Toolbox to identify the most drought-prone areas, translating data into practical action — from installing rainwater harvesting systems to planting drought-resistant crops and training farmers to monitor conditions themselves.In South Africa, the Toolbox supported the integration of early warning systems into land-use and agricultural planning, enabling farmers to adopt more sustainable practices and authorities to act on forecasts before droughts took their toll. Meanwhile, in Central Asia, countries facing similar climate pressures used the platform to harmonize monitoring efforts and coordinate their responses — showing how regional cooperation can strengthen resilience across borders.Collaboration is keyOne of the most important lessons from the Toolbox’s creation is that preparedness is not just technical — it’s collaborative. The platform draws from the expertise of partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and grounds that knowledge in the real-life experiences of those facing drought on a daily basis.This spirit of collaboration also sparked the development of complementary tools like the Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) Toolbox, recognizing the interconnectedness of climate risks, land degradation and human health.A lasting legacyThe Changwon Initiative did more than fund a product. It helped shape a process that placed accessibility, usability and inclusivity at the heart of drought preparedness. Thanks to this investment, the Drought Toolbox has become a vital global asset — used by countries, institutions and communities to plan ahead and protect what matters most.As droughts grow more frequent and complex, the need for practical, integrated solutions becomes more urgent. The Drought Toolbox — born of international collaboration and local insight — shows us what’s possible when we choose to act before crisis hits.It is a reminder that while we cannot stop the rain from disappearing, we can prepare wisely for its absence — and that preparation begins not with fear, but with the right tools in the right hands.