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The UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw joined a video chat with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mr. Muhtar Babayev and UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Ghulam Isaczai to discuss the support provided by the UN agencies to the republic during the prolonged drought and increasing water shortages.   The minister expained that the effects of the climate change in the republic include an average temperature increase of 1.4 C, with the expected reduction of river flow by 23 per cent on average between 2021-2050. Since 70 per cent of water resources in Azerbaijan originate outside the country, integrated water management and cooperation among the republics of South Caucasus is crucial to water security. As Mr. Babayev explained, the country would like to see a stronger engagement of UN agencies in facilitating dialogue and creating cooperation mechanisms for countries that share common river basins. The minister also presented the project to digitize tracking of water usage at the farm level and confirmed that Azerbaijan is interested in accessing good practices in smart agriculture and drought management through the UNCCD knowledge platforms.  Mr. Thiaw highlighted the detrimental effects of drought and water insecurity on social and economic development as one of the main reasons for establishing the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought (IWG). The group was launched at UNCCD COP14 to develop recommendations for establishing technical, financial and policy mechanisms to address drought. Mr. Thiaw encouraged the Minister and his team to follow the work of IWG and ensure that the water security concerns of the country are addressed. Mr. Thiaw stressed that UNCCD supports technological advancements as the investment in the future water security, with the best techniques and approaches adaptable to the regional and local context. Mr. Ghulam Isaczai confirmed the commitment of the UN country team to support  the Government of Azerbaijan as outlined in the country cooperation framework for the next five years and emphasized the need for immediate action to raise awareness on water saving technologies through policy and by sharing good practices. The meeting participants agreed to continue dialogue between UNCCD, the  UN country team and the ministry on immediate and long-term measures to build a water-secure future for Azerbaijan. 

The second phase of the peatland restoration project is now underway in Belarus, supported by UNCCD. It will involve the application of rewetting techniques, improvements in monitoring, forecasting and early warning of peatland fires assessment of the CO2 removal from rehabilitated sites. The project will help reduce the impacts of climate change on the sustainable economic development and to improve the living standards of the population in the Gomel region by developing local capacity for sustainable management of natural resources. A team of Belarusian experts, together with the Global Mechanism of UNCCD, is currently developing a gender-responsive transformative project to rewet 33,000 ha of degraded peat- and mirelands, achieving multiple benefits at scale.  Rewetting and re-naturalization of Belarusian peatlands will provide a number of ecosystem benefits: the level of ground water will rise, reducing drought risks through accumulation of freshwater. By preventing further mineralization of peats, the soil carbon will be locked in the rewetted areas, also removing carbon from the atmosphere. Rewetted peatlands also have a larger potential to sustain biodiversity, including economically natural resources such as cranberry bogs. Another promising path is the development of ecotourism to utilize the recreational potential of the mires. The UNCCD supports the efforts of the Government of Belarus on rehabilitation of peatlands since 2018 through the Greening Drylands Partnership, an initiative funded by the Government of South Korea. Between 2018-2019, about 1000 ha of degraded peatlands have been rewetted in Mogilev region in the south-east of Belarus. Sustainability of the rehabilitation measures is grounded in the strong partnership built between local authorities, forestry department and local community.  Learn more: Peatland restoration project results on UNCCD YouTube Peatland rehabilitation in Belarus in response to drought and sand storms 

he UNCCD COP Bureau held a virtual meeting on Friday 26 June, confirming the commitment of the Parties to advocate for environmental action and drive transformative change for people and the planet.

The first-ever online global observance of Desertification and Drought Day has proven to be a global success, thanks to the support and contributions of many prominent public figures and organizations.

Land use change is the primary driver for emerging infectious diseases, and the rate of land conversion is accelerating. Moreover, the foundation for building back better in the face of climate change and the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic will be centered upon future land-use decisions. The good news is that governments around the world have already initiated policies at UNCCD COP 14 to strengthen all dimensions of an effective enabling environment that could lead to more integrated land use planning and help us all be more careful about what we do where, by navigating the inevitable trade-offs in land use decisions. This approach can result in more strategic land investment that strengthen the links between urban and rural areas, building local and regional resilience to replace what has been lost at the global level. Building on the UN Secretary-General’s report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity,” the UNCCD secretariat has been recalibrating its 2020-2021 work programme to reflect the realities of the COVID-19 crisis, address the current needs and priorities of UNCCD Parties and continue to deliver on decisions taken at UNCCD COP14. The ongoing pandemic has evolved into a complex emergency with significant humanitarian, socio-economic and security dimensions. The lives of billions around the globe are in turmoil, with the poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities suffering the most. The delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals – the UN blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all – is now at risk. The UNCCD secretariat put together a report “Supporting the Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Land-based Solutions for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet” to explain how the convention can support its Parties as they develop their response and recovery plans. This report, which is anchored in science, provides the context and cases that demonstrate how land can move from being part of the problem to being central to the solution. Actions based on the clear understanding of rights, rewards and responsibilities of land management can help address the COVID-19 fallout by tackling one of the primary environmental drivers of emerging infectious disease outbreaks. At the same time, strengthening the resilience of our food and water systems, can help reduce the effects of the pandemic on global poverty and food insecurity.   Today, the UNCCD motto “healthy land = healthy people” is truer today than ever. We need to marshal our efforts and resources to secure rural livelihoods and create green jobs, support community resilience and maintain the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services from the land. The secretariat proposes this brief as a launching point of a new social contract for nature that meets our planet’s current challenges.   Read more: Solution brief: Restoration. Land. Recovery UNCCD and COVID-19 report UNCCD and COVID-19 brief: English | French | Spanish | Arabic | Chinese | Russian A social contract for nature to build back better Land and the SDGs Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality Creating an Enabling Environment for Land Degradation Neutrality  

On Desertification and Drought Day 2020, Ciencia Mágica received the UNCCD Land Heroes Award in recognition of the outstanding work to limit the footprint left on the land by human production and consumption. The winner was announced by TV host Olivia IH during the talkshow co-produced by UNCCD and Korea Forest Service, the host of the global observance event: The project, created by two young women from Mexico, presents a Family Garden Kit to promote the growth of sustainable crops in cities and rural areas, in an effort to reconnect humans with nature.Through their actions, Alondra Jazmín Fraustro Cardiel and Silvia Alejandra Lara Valdez contribute to food security, environmental protection and livelihood opportunities in Mexico. They have gratefully accepted the USD500 monetary prize hat will help to further develop the initiative:We wish to help with the installation of community gardens and carry out environmental education projects and workshops in more schools. We are also working on a publication "Caring for the planet as a family" to generate environmental awareness in society.— Alondra Jazmín Fraustro Cardiel, UNCCD Land HeroYou can learn more about Ciencia Mágica on Facebook.The UNCCD Land Heroes campaign achieved an impressive reach on social media in the past months, as hundreds of Land Heroes around the world shared their projects to inspire their peers and raise awareness on the crucial role of protecting healthy land, safeguard biodiversity and fight  climate change. You can meet and follow some of other Land Heroes on social media:Vanessa NakatePatricia KomboWise with WasteKehkashan BasuNature BodiesRicardo LandazuriDavid ChapolokoMaria Wilvenna AñoraMulindwa MosesMusa IbrahimCongratulations to everyone who participated in the campaign for their dedicated and passionate work toward a more sustainable planet!