Stories

Ebène, Mauritius – Recognizing the urgent need to address pressing environmental challenges, the representatives of the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles gathered for a workshop on 21-22 November 2018 to develop a joint game plan to increase the resilience to natural disasters and ensure food security. The participating Indian Ocean nations have already committed to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) and take bold steps to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation by combating deforestation, soil erosion and soil sealing. Together, the workshop participants have developed steps to sustainably manage the impact of urban agglomerations on the islands’ landscape, reduce the pressure on forest ecosystems by upscaling sustainable agriculture practices and mainstream LDN principles into land use planning.  The workshop, hosted by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) secretariat and co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, has also given momentum to the “Neutral Island Initiative” (Neutral-is), which will address the land–water–ocean nexus when building resilience and food security in the region. Read more: Achieving land degradation neutrality Land and SDGs Land and climate change

In May 2019, representatives of 130 governments will be presented, for discussion and possible approval, with a definitive new global synthesis of the state of nature, ecosystems and nature’s contributions to people – the first such report since the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was published in 2005, and the first ever that is intergovernmental. Prepared by150 leading international experts from 50 countries working with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services will inform better policies and actions in the coming decade. The report will be finalized and considered at the seventh session of the IPBES Plenary on 29 April – 4 May 2019). The report will offer an integrated overview of where the world stands in relation to key international goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Paris Agreement on climate change. It examines causes of biodiversity and ecosystem change, the implications for people, policy options and likely future pathways over the next three decades if current trends continue, and other scenarios.  In the words of Sir Robert Watson, IPBES Chair, “the loss of species, ecosystems and genetic diversity is already a global and generational threat to human well-being. Protecting the invaluable contributions of nature to people will be the defining challenge of decades to come. Policies, efforts and actions – at every level - will only succeed, however, when based on the best knowledge and evidence. This is what the IPBES Global Assessment provides.” Read more: Assessment primer Land and the SDGs Land and climate change  

Istanbul, Türkiye –  Scientists and experts from West Asia, Central Asia and the Balkans, together with the representatives of the UNCCD, UNEP and WMO, attended the Sixth International Sand and Dust Storm (SDS) workshop on 12-15 November 2018 to discuss the importance of partnerships in addressing SDS, with the focus on anthropogenic source management.  Workshop included presentations on SDS policies, source management, impact mitigation, early warning and forecasting, SDS observation, assessment and modeling. Country delegates also presented best practices in addressing SDS, highlighting the importance of knowledge sharing between countries, national  and international agencies.  Workshop participants agreed that the development of a capacity-building project on SDS sources, monitoring and impact assessment, as well as sand stabilization for affected areas would be the next important step in addressing SDS at the regional level.  Read more: Sand and dust storms Sustainable land management is key to fighting sand and dust storms

Budapest, Hungary – The Hungarian Meteorological Service and the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Center (DRMKC) of the European Commission organized an international training course on drought risk assessment on 6 – 8 November 2018 to discuss the increasing frequency, severity and intensity of droughts in many regions of Europe as a consequence of climate change. The course brought together 50 participants from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta,cNetherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden. While national efforts in drought management are mostly concentrated on risk assessment, there is also a considerable variability between countries in approaches and applied methods for risk evaluation. The DRMKC training offered the participants an opportunity to exchange experiences on best practices and get information on recent developments. The main goal of the training was to help member states enhance their preparedness for drought by improving knowledge on drought risks in the region where competition between different water users, such as agriculture, industry, tourism and households, is likely to increase due to existing and expected drought trends. Hungarian national focal point Mr. Peter Molnar, delivered a presentation on the relevance of drought management in Europe and its place on the UNCCD agenda, including the  UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework, The Drought Initiative and the National Drought Plans. To illustrate the UNCCD institutional results in drought preparedness, he also presented the Drought Management Centre for South-Eastern Europe (DMCSEE), established by the UNCCD and WMO.   Read more: The Drought Initiative Land and drought Land and climate change

China has emerged as a champion in the fight against desertification by investing heavily in land restoration efforts through several major initiatives. The Three-North Shelterbelt programme, also known as the "Green Great Wall of China," is a national tree-planting project designed to rehabilitate degraded land and stop the desert encroaching into the fertile grasslands and farmlands of northern China. To scale up measures against desertification, the Chinese government has also developed a National Action Programme to Combat Desertification by expanding protected areas and restoring overgrazed and marginal farmlands to their natural state. It has created strong incentives to encourage private-sector organisations to invest in restoring degraded areas through public–private partnerships.  In 2016, China launched the Belt and Road Joint Action Initiative to combat desertification across the Silk Road region, and the cooperation between partner countries and communities is expected to accelerate in the future. China is making major strides towards combating desertification, but with a growing population and a warmer and drier climate, the challenges will also increase. We must ask what we can learn from China’s experience, and seek to balance the needs of socio-economic development with the protection of vital and limited natural resources. Read more: Full article on Climate 2020 site Land and climate change Land for Life programme  

Seoul, Republic of Korea – The 2018 REDD+ International Symposium, organized by the Republic of Korea Forest Service (KFS), took place on 31 October 2018, bringing together participants from UN agencies and international organizations, national institutions, universities and government agencies. The symposium focused on current status and major issues of REDD+, including Norway’s support of REDD implementation in developing countries, REDD projects in Cambodia in cooperation with the Republic of Korea, result-based payment and benefit-sharing mechanisms implemented in Brazil, the future work of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and the joint crediting mechanism developed by Japan to facilitate diffusion of leading low carbon technologies while contributing to the sustainable development in partner countries. Discussions also included the use of agroforestry for conservation and sustainable development, and cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the implementation of REDD in DPRK.  Read more: Land and climate change Climate change and desertification