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The Government of Türkiye, under the umbrella of the G20 Global Land Initiative at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), convened G20 members, current and incoming COP presidencies, partner agencies, relevant initiatives and UN entities for the Antalya Dialogue.

Drought does not arrive with sirens. It builds quietly—through drying soils, shrinking water supplies and wilting crops—until its impacts ripple across farms, cities and entire economies. By the time it is fully visible, the damage is often already widespread and costly, affecting everything from food and energy production to transportation and health.With droughts projected to affect three in four people worldwide by 2050, and three quarters of the world’s land already permanently drier due to unsustainable land management and climate change, how should countries act to prevent drought from escalating into crisis?Much like the Human Development Index reshaped how countries understand progress, the new Drought Resilience Index aims to provide a clear, shared benchmark to help governments manage drought risk and prevent irreversible impacts—including lost lives and shattered livelihoods.Now under development through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) and partners, the index is designed to give decision-makers a clearer picture of where vulnerabilities lie —helping them assess preparedness, create policies and act before drought turns into disaster.A three-day  workshop recently hosted by the European Commission Joint Research Centre in Italy brought together a wide range of international partners—spanning multilateral, scientific, academic, technical, and government institutions—to fine-tune the tool, which is expected to launch as part of a broader AI-powered data visualization platform.We spoke with Edgar Gutiérrez-Espeleta, senior policy consultant at UNCCD advising on the development of the tool, to understand how the Drought Resilience Index works—and why it could reshape how countries prepare for a new drought era. From data overload to clarityThe Drought Resilience Index, part of the broader International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), is designed to turn complex and fragmented data into simple scores that policymakers can use to make decisions. “Drought is one thing. Resilience to drought is another,” says Gutiérrez-Espeleta.  “The aim is to help countries assess their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought, and to highlight where action is most needed so they can use limited resources effectively.”To capture this, the Drought Resilience Index is built around three dimensions: anticipation, preparation and adaptation. These reflect the full lifecycle of drought risk. Each dimension is assessed across four areas that shape resilience: the built environment; the natural environment, including soils, forests and wetlands; communities; and the economy —together offering a multidimensional picture of how well countries manage drought risk.Across each of these areas, experts identify one or two indicators to capture the most critical aspects of resilience, drawing on available, UN-vetted global datasets. These indicators are then standardised and combined into a composite score, enabling countries to assess their capacity to manage drought risk.For example, in anticipation, the health of ecosystems—such as forest cover or watershed integrity—can indicate how well the natural environment buffers drought impacts. In preparation, the efficiency and reach of water supply systems reflect the capacity of the built environment to conserve and distribute scarce resources. In adaptation, the share of livelihoods diversified beyond water-intensive activities shows how well the economy can withstand recurring drought conditions.“Low scores act as warning signals, pointing decision-makers to areas that require urgent attention,” explains Gutiérrez-Espeleta.Built through collaborationThe index is not being developed in isolation. It builds on years of work within the UNCCD’s Science-Policy Interface and has been shaped through consultations with top drought resilience experts from different regions, including the European Union’s Joint Research Centre, the US National Drought Monitor, the World Meteorological Organization and Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture.In the lead up to the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (UNCCD COP17), specialists are refining the selection of indicators, assessing available datasets and ensuring that the index is both scientifically robust and practical for policymakers.One of the key challenges is data availability. Not all countries have the same level of information, and some indicators may only exist for some parts of the world.“We are starting with the best data currently available and building from there,” Gutiérrez-Espeleta says. “As the index evolves, it will also help drive stronger and more comprehensive data collection, as has been the case with the Human Development Index.”A tool shaped by experienceThe idea for the Drought Resilience Index is rooted in experience. In 2015, as Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment, Gutiérrez-Espeleta faced a severe drought that demanded urgent, cross-sector decisions—but without a clear overview, it was difficult to prioritize action. That gap is what the Index is designed to fill. By bringing diverse data into a single framework that everybody can understand, it helps policymakers identify where systems are weakest and where action is most needed—offering, in his words, “a way to quickly see the big picture.”Rather than prescribing solutions, the Index works as a signal, highlighting where problems are most acute and pointing decision-makers towards the areas that require attention.The ambition is simple. When ministers see it at COP17, Gutiérrez-Espeleta hopes their reaction will be immediate: “This is what we needed.” From there, governments can mobilize resources and act—because while drought cannot be prevented, the vulnerability of people, economies and ecosystems can be greatly reduced.Photo : Participants at the IDRO Drought Resilience Index workshop hosted in Italy by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, including representatives of: Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture, National Center for Meteorology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Global Water Partnership, US National Drought Mitigation Center, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CIMA Research Foundation, Sahara and Sahel Observatory, CSIC-CEBAS, Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Senegal, Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Deltares, International Rice Research Institute,  IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, University of Southern Queensland, UNEP-DHI Partnership, Tree Aid.

Los preparativos para la 17.ª sesión de la Conferencia de las Partes (COP17) de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación entran en una fase decisiva, mientras la presión sobre las tierras, los sistemas alimentarios y el agua siguen enaumento a nivel mundial. Durante una visita de dos días a Ulán Bator, la secretaria ejecutiva de la CNULD, Yasmine Fouad, se reunió con los dirigentes de Mongolia para avanzar en la planificación de la COP17, que tendrá lugar en la capital del país del 17 al 28 de agosto de 2026 bajo el lema ‘Restaurar la tierra, restaurar la esperanza’. Hoy en día, hasta el 40 % de las tierras del mundo ya están degradadas, lo que socava la producción de alimentos, la disponibilidad de agua y los medios de vida. Al mismo tiempo, las sequías han aumentado en casi un tercio desde el año 2000, lo que supone una carga adicional para las comunidades; especialmente, en las regiones áridas, donde la salud de las tierras es clave para la supervivencia de las poblaciones locales. Solo la sequía ya le cuesta a la economía mundial más de 300,000 millones de dólares al año, con repercusiones en cadena en los sistemas alimentarios, las cadenas de suministro y los medios de vida. De desafío global a realidad nacional En Mongolia, estos desafíos no son abstractos. Casi el 77 % de la tierra está degradada en mayor o menor medida, mientras que las sequías cada vez más frecuentes, seguidas de inviernos severos, están afectando cada vez más los medios de vida pastorales, la piedra angular de la economía y el modo de vida de un tercio de la población aproximadamente. Estos fenómenos reflejan tendencias globales más amplias. Los pastizales, que cubren más de la mitad de la superficie terrestre y sustentan a unos 2.000 millones de personas, se ven cada vez más sometidos a los efectos cambio climático y el uso insostenible de la tierra, y hasta la mitad de ellos ya están degradados o en riesgo. Los suelos están perdiendo su fertilidad y su capacidad de retener agua y de sostener ecosistemas, lo que ya está afectando a la producción de alimentos, los ingresos y la resiliencia. Como respuesta, Mongolia ha lanzado iniciativas nacionales sobre restauración de la tierra, gestión de pastizales y sistemas ganaderos sostenibles para abordar estos retos y mostrar cómo la sostenibilidad medioambiental y la resiliencia económica pueden ir de la mano. Una conferencia centrada en resultados La visita de la Secretaria Ejecutiva de la CNULD no solo se centró en la organización de la COP17, sino también en cómo garantizar que la conferencia produzca resultados concretos y medibles. Esto incluye aumentar la inversión en la restauración de tierras y la resiliencia ante la sequía, fortalecer los sistemas alimentarios sostenibles y apoyar a las comunidades que se encuentran en primera línea de la degradación de las tierras. “Una tierra sana es la base de la seguridad alimentaria, los medios de vida y la estabilidad”, afirmó la secretaria ejecutiva de la CNULD, Dra. Yasmine Fouad. “Los preparativos para la COP17 están entrando ahora en una fase decisiva. Junto con Mongolia, estamostrabajando para garantizar que la conferencia tenga resultados reales, desde aumentar la inversión en la restauración de tierras y la resiliencia ante la sequía hasta fortalecer los sistemas alimentarios y apoyar a las comunidades en mayor riesgo”. Las autoridades de Mongolia también hicieron hincapié en su compromiso de impulsar el desarrollo verde y aprovechar la COP17 como una oportunidad para fortalecer la acción tanto a nivel nacional como mundial. “La desertificación se ha convertido en un problema que afecta al entorno de vida de todos los ciudadanos de nuestro país. Por ello, el Gobierno de Mongolia declarará el desarrollo verde como prioridad nacional. Presentaremos la Ley sobre el Cambio Climático al Gran Khural del Estado (Parlamento). Promoveremos nuestra política de desarrollo verde a nivel mundial, atraeremos inversiones y crearemos nuevas oportunidades. También aceleraremos nuestros esfuerzos de desarrollo de infraestructuras y proyectos”, afirmó el primer ministro de Mongolia, Uchral Nyam-Osor. Una cuestión de estabilidad La degradación de tierras y la sequía cada vez tienen un mayor reconocimiento en tanto que multiplicadores de riesgos sistémicos. Intensifican la competencia por la tierra y el agua, destruyen medios de vida y pueden contribuir al desplazamiento y la inestabilidad. En muchas partes del mundo, estas presiones ya están vinculadas al aumento de la inseguridad alimentaria y al creciente estrés social y económico. Cuando la tierra ya no puede sustentar a las comunidades, los impactos se dejan sentir en todos los sistemas, desde losmedios de vida locales hasta la estabilidad nacional. Sus efectos van mucho más allá del medio ambiente, ya que condicionan los sistemas alimentarios, la resiliencia económica y la cohesión social, especialmente en regiones tensionadas. Abordar estos retos no es, por lo tanto, solo una prioridad medioambiental, sino también de desarrollo y económica. Es, además, una inversión en estabilidad, que ayuda a reducir la presión sobre los recursos escasos, a fortalecer los medios de vida y a construircomunidades más resilientes. Prioridades de la COP17 La COP17 reunirá a gobiernos, instituciones financieras, científicos, la sociedad civil y el sector privado para acelerar las medidas de restauración de la tierra y resiliencia ante la sequía. Entre las prioridades clave se incluyen ampliar la financiación, fortalecer la preparación ante la sequía, avanzar en la gestión sostenible de tierras y la revalorizar el papel de los pastizales y las comunidades pastorales, especialmente en el contexto del Año Internacional de los Pastizales y los Pastores en 2026. Como la primera de las tres COP de las Convenciones de Río en 2026, la COP17 llega en un momento en el que tanto magnitud del desafío, como el coste de la inacción, son patentes. La atención se centra ahora en convertir los compromisos en resultados y garantizarque las soluciones lleguen al terreno. En Mongolia y tantos otros lugares donde los retos ya son evidentes, esta ambición no es algo abstracto. De ahí la importancia de los próximos pasos y del legado de las medidas que se adopten en la COP17. Para consultas de los medios de comunicación Oficina de Prensa de la CNULD: press@unccd.int Acerca de la CNULD  La Convención de las Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación (CNULD) es la visión y la voz global para las tierras. Unimos a gobiernos, científicos, responsables políticos, el sector privado y las comunidades en torno a una visión compartida y una acciónglobal para restaurar y gestionar las tierras del mundo en favor de la sostenibilidad de la humanidad y del planeta. Mucho más que un tratado internacional firmado por 197 Partes, la CNULD es un compromiso multilateral para mitigar los impactos actuales de la degradación de las tierras y promover la gestión responsable de las tierras en el futuro, con el fin de proporcionar alimentos, agua, refugio y oportunidades económicas a todas las personas de manera equitativa e inclusiva.  

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).