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Following a key decision at COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024, the process to shape the future direction of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is now officially underway. The COP Bureau has approved the Terms of Reference for the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework (IWG-FSF), paving the way for nominations. The IWG-FSF will lead the development of a post-2030 strategy for the Convention. Its mandate includes identifying key elements, including possible goals and targets, for the future strategic framework, and conducting a thorough analysis of the current indicators used in national reporting.  Building on the milestones of the 2018–2030 Strategic Framework, the IWG-FSF will also consider lessons from its midterm evaluation, insights from the IWG on Drought and broader UN indicators, such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Each regional annex will nominate three representatives. In addition, the group will include five technical experts: one each from civil society and international organizations and three independent experts. The deadline to nominate civil society representatives is 26 May 2025The deadline to nominate independent science experts is 13 June 2025The deadline to nominate regional representatives is 4 July 2025 Final appointments will be made within two months of the Terms of Reference approval. The approved Terms of Reference will be shared with Parties through the UNCCD national focal points and science and technology correspondents. The IWG-FSF is expected to deliver an interim progress report at the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) in December 2025.  

Each year, the fashion industry produces over 60 million tonnes of clothing, making it a major contributor to global pollution and climate change—and deeply intertwined with the land it relies on. From fibre production to garment disposal, its impact on land, water and biodiversity is undeniable. Yet few realize that the very fibres in our clothing have profound effects on the land they come from. Over 40 per cent of textiles come from cotton and cellulosic fibres—crops that require intensive land and chemical use.Without intervention, the fashion industry is projected to use 35 per cent more land by 2030—an area equivalent to 115 million hectares—roughly the size of Ethiopia—highlighting the urgent need for sustainable land management practices.Beyond the connection between fashion and land, issues of land tenure and gender are crucial to driving meaningful change. Of the approximately 300 million people employed in fashion, women make up over 65 per cent of the industry’s workforce, particularly in the production stages. In rural areas, they play a vital role in growing, harvesting and processing the natural fibres that fuel the sector. Yet despite their contributions, only one in five landowners is a woman. Without secure land rights, women are often excluded from key decisions on how land is used and managed. Research shows, however, that when women do own the land they work on, they are more likely to invest in sustainable practices—helping to combat land degradation and adapt to climate challenges."Women comprise nearly half of the world’s agricultural workforce, producing 60–80 per cent of the food grown in developing countries, so are poised to lead on sustainable land management practices while keeping their families and communities fed. Despite their vital role, it is alarming to note that fewer than one in five landowners is female. Without land rights, women are not fully engaged in decisions on land use and management. However, studies show that when women own the land they work on, this encourages their dedication to land stewardship to fight land degradation and cope with climate shocks.” — UNCCD Her Land publicationIndigenous peoples, local communities and smallholder farmers are also disproportionately affected by land-use changes driven by fashion supply chains. These communities often lose access to ancestral lands and livelihoods to make way for cash crops and grazing pastures. As climate impacts and social inequalities deepen, a new narrative is emerging—one where gender equality, sustainable land management and circular production patterns intersect.Women-led initiatives are already at the forefront of this shift—advocating for responsible fibre production, promoting sustainable alternatives, improving labour conditions and empowering women, especially in rural and marginalized communities.One such initiative is Tujikuze—a women-led Kenyan enterprise focused on sustainable, circular fashion. By using locally sourced, biodegradable materials and empowering young women through training and employment, Tujikuze exemplifies how fashion can serve both people and the planet. Their model promotes community resilience, environmental stewardship and economic opportunity—showing that ethical fashion is not only possible but already in motion.Tujikuze was among the inspiring examples shared at the recent event “Women leading change: Shaping a sustainable future in fashion,”  held on the margins of the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development. Organized by the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, UNECE, ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, ILO, UNIDO, UNCCD and the UN Office for Partnerships, the event brought together global advocates and entrepreneurs to spotlight the transformative role of women in shaping a more equitable and sustainable fashion sector—and to highlight the industry’s deep connection to the land and natural resources.One central message was underscored: land degradation, gender injustice and unsustainable fashion are interconnected. A people-centered, land-conscious and gender-equal approach is essential to reversing the industry’s harm. Fashion can no longer be separated from the land that sustains it.To heal our relationship with nature, we must redesign our wardrobes from the ground up.

Bonn, 7 April 2025 – Accelerating progress to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land around the world and jumpstarting a trillion-dollar land restoration economy will be the focus of this year’s Desertification and Drought Day on 17 June. The theme of Desertification and Drought Day 2025 is “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities”, underscoring multiple benefits linked to land restoration.  Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), said: “Land degradation and drought are major disruptors of our economy, stability, food production, water and quality of life. They amplify climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, forced migration and conflicts over access to fertile land and water. Land restoration is an opportunity to turn the tide on these alarming trends. A restored land is a land of endless opportunities. It’s time to unlock them now.”  Healthy land underpins thriving economies, with over half of global GDP dependent on nature. Yet we are depleting this natural capital at an alarming rate—some 1 million km2 of healthy and productive lands, equivalent to the size of Egypt, are becoming degraded every year.   As the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 marks its halfway point, we must accelerate efforts to turn the tide of land degradation into large-scale restoration. If current trends continue, we will need to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 to achieve a land-degradation neutral world. To date, one billion hectares of degraded land has been pledged for restoration through voluntary commitments, such as the G20 Global Land Restoration Initiative hosted by UNCCD.   Breathing life back into land yields multiple benefits for people and nature. Every dollar invested in restoring degraded lands brings between US$ 7-30 in economic returns. But despite a strong investment case, land restoration is not happening at the scale and pace that are so urgently needed.  According to the latest financial needs assessment by UNCCD’s Global Mechanism, the world needs US$ 1 billion daily to combat desertification, land degradation and drought between 2025 and 2030. Current investments in land restoration and drought resilience stand at US$ 66 billion annually, with the private sector contributing just six per cent.  “We need to scale up ambition and investment by both governments and businesses. While the benefits of restoration far outweigh the costs, initial investments in the magnitude of billions are needed. We need to unlock new sources of finance, create decent land-based jobs and fast-track innovations while making the most of traditional knowledge,” UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw concluded.  About Desertification and Drought Day  Officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 (A/RES/49/115), Desertification and Drought Day, marked annually on 17 June, is a unique occasion to highlight practical solutions to combating desertification, land degradation and drought.  The theme of Desertification and Drought Day 2025 is “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities”, underscoring multiple benefits linked to land restoration. Countries and communities around the world organize activities to mark the Day. Previous global Desertification and Drought Day celebrations took place in Germany (2024), USA (2023), Spain (2022), Costa Rica (2021), Republic of Korea (2020), Türkiye (2019), Ecuador (2018) , Burkina Faso (2017) and China (2016). For more information, please contact: UNCCD Press Office press@unccd.int; https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day   About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. 

In Morocco’s rural communities, women are on the front lines of a growing crisis. As desertification advances, their daily lives become harder, fields produce less, water becomes scarcer and work grows more distant.

On the outskirts of Jimma, Ethiopia, a modest tree nursery is thriving against all odds. Here, vibrant green seedlings have sprouted from soil once rendered barren by relentless droughts. Hussein, a local farmer, walks among rows of avocado, banana and papaya seedlings, each symbolizing a new beginning for his family. “These trees are an important source of hope and pride for us,” he says, his voice a mix of pride and relief. This land has endured severe droughts for decades, with erratic rainfall extending the dry season and turning the soil to dust. But in Jimma, an agroforestry project offers a beacon of stability rooted in the soil.The path to Jimma’s environmental rejuvenation commenced with a thorough evaluation of its degraded soil, which had suffered from years of intensive agriculture and persistent droughts. This initiative, the Greening Drylands Partnership, bolstered by the Changwon Initiative, launched by the Republic of Korea during the UNCCD COP10 in 2011, aiming to support the global target of a land degradation-neutral world. Financial backing was provided by the Korea Forest Service through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). They conducted extensive soil sampling throughout the region to assess nutrient and moisture levels and thus the resilience of the soil. Encouragingly, despite its depletion, Jimma’s soil showed potential; with proper care, it was capable of supporting new life.Hussein was one of the first to volunteer, intrigued by the idea that trees could provide benefits beyond his seasonal crops. At first, he didn’t believe trees could survive in this kind of soil, he admits. “We had always relied on corn and tomatoes, but when the drought came, they just dried up.” Today, he stands in the middle of his orchard, surveying the lush canopy that now protects his land. His fruit trees, once tiny saplings, have grown sturdy, their roots reaching deep into the earth. Where corn and peppers once struggled, avocado and banana trees thrive, providing a steady income he’d never imagined. In the past four months alone, he has earned about 72,000 Ethiopian Birr (about $1,300) from fruit sales. For Hussein, the change is more than financial. Hussein is not alone in this transformation. His neighbor, Mohammed, and women’s collectives have also joined the agroforestry project, moving from annual crops to a permanent orchard. They have seen a steady income and now employ other villagers to help with the harvest, extending the project’s impact beyond his land.Jimma’s agroforestry success is part of a larger movement. Across Ethiopia, the Green Legacy Initiative, a national reforestation campaign launched in 2019, has inspired communities to plant trees and protect natural resources. The program has surpassed its initial goal of planting 20 billion trees, setting the country on a path to reverse decades of environmental degradation. The Greening Drylands Partnership, with its direct economic benefits, demonstrates the potential to combine reforestation with income generation, giving struggling farmers a reason to protect their land.In Jimma, agroforestry is gaining traction as a movement, guided by farmers like Hussein, who recognize the importance of selecting the right seeds, planted with care, to ensure resilience.Ethiopia’s droughts persist. Each year, as temperatures rise and rains fail, the country faces increasing pressure to adapt. However, the farmers of Jimma have demonstrated that adaptation is not a matter of surrender. Through agroforestry, they have found a way to thrive in conditions that once seemed impossible. They are actively engaged in reshaping their future, planting trees with a sense of urgency and dedication, as if their very survival depends on it.The roots of resilience are spreading, offering a roadmap for other drought-prone regions in the Horn of Africa and beyond. It serves as a reminder that sometimes the most powerful solution is already present and waiting within our communities. 

The Women's Land Rights Initiative (WLRI) is a collaborative network of over 60 partners, dedicated to prioritizing women's land rights within the frameworks of the three UN Rio Conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The initiative emphasizes the crucial role of secure and equal rights to land for women in achieving the objectives of these conventions, making the case for integrated approaches to sustainable land use that can synergistically address climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Ahead of the International Women's Day, our new video showcases why women's secure land rights must be at the heart of healing our relationship with nature. Learn more.