Other meetings & events

Decision-makers and experts will review the progress made in the past decade and outline a path to translate drought policies into action around the world. The outcomes of the Conference will inform the negotiations at UNCCD COP16. Monday 30 September12:55 – 13:55 CETUNCCD’s Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) on Drought – Results and perspectives from five continents | UNCCD IWG on DroughtGovernance in Action: Strategies for Improved Drought Risk Management | Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, UNCCD, GWP, Bahir Dar University Ethiopia, IUCNTowards actionable information to foster drought resilience – Lessons from across scales14:00 – 15:30 CETPlenary session on drought risk covernance: The regional, national and local challengesTuesday 1 October08:30 – 10:00 CETPlenary session on the need to turn drought policies into action12:25 – 13:25 CETUNCCD and IDMP communities of learning and practice: Collaborative approaches to drought management and resilience | UNCCD, GWP, WMO15:30 – 17:00 CETPlenary session on drought risk finance17:15 – 18:15 CETThe International Drought Resilience Observatory unveiled | IDRA, UNCCD, UNU-INWEH, World Bank Group, Yale CEAGlobal Report on the Economics of Drought – Benefits of proactive investments to improve drought readiness | GIZ, UNU-INWEHWednesday 2 October12:25– 13:25 CETThe Global Drought Atlas – A perspective on drought risks and resilience | UNCCD, JRC, CIMA, IVM-VU, UNU15:00– 18:00 CETHigh-level closing session: Turning drought resilience challenges into actionAccess the full programme here.Register for the online conference as a participant or as a journalist.

A high-level side event, hosted by Saudi Arabia on the margins of the UN General Assembly, will focus on the upcoming UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh and the importance of raising global efforts to address land degradation and drought and their social, environmental and economic impacts. From 1:15pm to 2:30pm in Conference Room 2 at UN Headquarters. Watch live on UN WebTV.

 World Water Week’s 2024 theme ‘Bridging borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future’ focuses on water cooperation for peace and security. Join UNCCD and members of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) for the following events highlighting the links between healthy lands, water security, and drought resilience: Monday 26 August 11:00-12:30 (GMT+2 hours): Water: A regional public good for peace in West AfricaLearning from decades of transboundary work in West Africa, the session will bring national, regional and international viewpoints on the role of water as catalyst for peace, resilient livelihoods, and development. The region counts 28 transboundary river basins covering 71% of its area, making water cooperation key for the future. With a focus on West Africa, the trend and projections of drought and desertification and the role of various actors to address drought proactively, across sectors and scales will be addressed. Tuesday 27 August 16:00-17:30 (GMT+2 hours): A Hydro-Extreme Serious Game: Managing Disasters and Conflicts.The Hydro Extreme Game highlights the complexity of taking consensual decisions towards integrated disaster management. Players will attempt to come up with the best mix of water management solutions to manage both droughts and floods based on tools of the UNCCD Drought Toolbox, Associated Programme of Flood Management (APFM), Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) and the IWRM Toolbox. Wednesday 28 August 08:00-09:00 (GMT+2 hours): Early Warning, Local Action: Synergies, Strategies for Climate Shocks. Rising climate shocks demand action. Across diverse regions, the session will analyze warning systems, actions taken, and how local adaptations fit specific contexts. Findings show that integrated approaches significantly outperform separate interventions. Furthermore, empowering communities through locally led adaptation ensures relevant and sustainable solutions.11:00-12:15 (GMT+2 hours), 7A Posthuset, Room 202 : Nature for Resilient Food, Land, and Water.15:00-17:30 (GMT+2 hours): Presentations on the upcoming Drought Resilience +10 Conference (30 September – 2 October. Geneva, Switzerland) with WMO, UNCCD, and GWP representatives Thursday 29 August 11:40-12:40 (GMT+2 hours): Live studio talk show: Elevating Drought resilience beyond borders and sectors.This session examines cross border collaborative approaches to addressing drought proactively at all levels. Notably, by bringing together early warning, prevention, and response, and by building drought resilience. The discussion will be informed by joint activities of the convening organizations including UNCCD, United Nations University and The Nature Conservancy. Check the full programme and the details on the sessions above here.

UNCCD and UNDP are organizing a three-day workshop with the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) and international experts, donors, government officials and development agencies to discuss joint work under the Peace Forest Initiative in the region of Central Asia.

Desertification and land degradation represent a major challenge for the global sporting community. Sports pitches are directly affected by these phenomena. Drought and extreme temperatures make playing surfaces harder and more brittle, increasing the risk of injury for athletes. In addition, frequent heatwaves mean sporting events must be rescheduled, disrupting athletes' preparation and performance. To address these issues, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is organizing a ‘Desertification Day’ on 31 July 2024 at the Africa Station of the Olympic Games on Ile-Saint-Denis. The aim of the event is to raise awareness and get the sporting community involved in land issues ahead of UNCCD COP16, the UN's biggest conference on land issues, in December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.