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Bonn, Allemagne, 22 Février 2016 – « Protégeons la planète. Restaurons les terres. Mobilisons-nous. Tel est », rappela Monique Barbut, secrétaire exécutive de la Convention des Nations Unies sur la lutte contre la désertification (CNULCD), « le thème adopté cette année pour la Journée mondiale de lutte contre la désertification célébrée le 17 juin. J’en appelle à la solidarité de la communauté internationale avec les populations qui luttent contre les ravages de la sécheresse et des inondations. Trouvons des solutions à long terme au lieu de simples expédients pour remédier aux catastrophes qui détruisent les communautés ». Les sécheresses et les inondations qui s’abattent sur les communautés de nombreuses parties du monde sont liées au phénomène El Niño, qui devrait affecter jusqu’à 60 millions de personnes d'ici au mois de juillet. Dans certaines régions, dont le nord-est du Brésil, la Somalie, l’Éthiopie, le Kenya et la Namibie, les effets d’El Niño viennent s'ajouter à des années de sécheresses sévères et récurrentes. Les ménages et les petits agriculteurs qui dépendent de la terre pour leur subsistance et leu nourriture  sont dans l’impossibilité de s’en remettre, en particulier lorsque les terres sont dégradées. Qui plus est, cette situation n’a pas pour seul effet de dévaster les familles et de déstabiliser les communautés. Si l’on ne tente pas d’y remédier dans les meilleurs délais, elle peut devenir un facteur favorisant les migrations et se solder par de graves violations des droits de l'homme et des menaces à long terme pour la sécurité. « Nous avons déjà vu cela au Darfour à la suite de quatre décennies de sécheresses et de désertification », poursuivit Monique Barbut, « et plus récemment en Syrie, après la longue sécheresse des années 2007-2010. Il est dramatique de voir s'effondrer une société, alors qu’il nous serait possible de réduire la vulnérabilité des communautés par des actions simples et peu dispendieuses consistant par exemple à restaurer les terres dégradées sur lesquelles elles vivent et à aider les pays à mettre en place de meilleurs systèmes d'alerte précoce en cas de sécheresse ainsi qu’à prévoir et gérer sécheresses et inondations. » Madame Barbut faisait ces remarques en annonçant les plans prévus cette année pour la Journée mondiale de lutte contre la désertification, qui se célèbre le 17 juin. « J’espère que cette année, » déclara-t-elle encore, « la Journée mondiale de lutte contre la désertification marquera un tournant pour tous les pays. Nous devons montrer, par des actions concrètes et par la coopération, que chaque pays aborde ou relève ces défis en amont afin d’anticiper ou de minimiser les impacts potentiels des catastrophes, et non pas seulement en aval et après que ces dernières se soient produites ». L'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a désigné la journée du 17 juin pour sensibiliser l'opinion publique aux efforts internationaux de lutte contre la désertification et les effets de la sécheresse. Madame Barbut remercia le gouvernement et le peuple chinois pour avoir offert d'accueillir l’événement international organisé pour de célébrer cette journée, lequel se déroulera dans le Grand Hall du Peuple à Pékin. « La Chine », remarqua-t-elle, « dispose d’une expérience considérable en matière de remise en état des terres dégradées et des déserts engendrés par l'homme. Ces connaissances peuvent et doivent profiter à des initiatives telles que la Grande muraille verte africaine, le reverdissement en Afrique du Sud et l’Initiative 20 X 20 en Amérique latine. Nous pouvons créer un monde meilleur, plus équitable et résilient au changement climatique. J’appelle en outre les pays, le secteur privé, les fondations et les gens de bonne volonté à soutenir l’Afrique lorsque les pays se réuniront plus tard dans l'année pour élaborer des politiques et des plans concrets visant à anticiper, surveiller et gérer les sécheresses ». La campagne de sensibilisation de la Journée mondiale 2016 favorise par ailleurs la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable adoptés en septembre dernier. L’une des cibles de ces derniers consiste à atteindre d’ici à 2030 un monde neutre en termes de dégradation des terres. C’est-à-dire un monde où la quantité des terres remises en état serait égale ou supérieure à celle des terres dégradées chaque année. Pour de plus amples informations sur la Journée et les événements précédents : https://www2.unccd.int/actions/17-june-desertification-and-drought-day Personne à contacter pour la Journée mondiale de lutte contre la désertification : Yhori@unccd.int Informations à l'intention des médias : wwischnewski@unccd.int

Bonn, Germany, 22 February 2016 – “Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People. This is the slogan for this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification to be held on 17 June. I am calling for solidarity from the international community with the people who are battling the ravages of drought and flood. Let us find long-term solutions, not just quick fixes, to disasters that are destroying communities,” urged Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The droughts and floods beating down on communities in many parts of the world are linked to the current El Niño, which is expected to affect up 60 million people by July. In some areas, including in North Eastern Brazil, Somali, Ethiopia, Kenya and Namibia, the El Niño effects are coming on the back of years of severe and recurrent droughts. It is impossible for households that rely on the land for food and farm labor to recover, especially when the land is degraded. What’s more, these conditions do not just devastate families and destabilize communities. When they are not attended to urgently, they can become a push factor for migration, and end with gross human rights abuses and long-term security threats.  “We have seen this before – in Darfur following four decades of droughts and desertification and, more recently, in Syria, following the long drought of 2007-2010. It is tragic to see a society breaking down when we can reduce the vulnerability of communities through simple and affordable acts such as restoring the degraded lands they live on, and helping countries to set up better systems for drought early warning and to prepare for and manage drought and floods,” Barbut said. Ms Barbut made the remarks when announcing the plans for this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification, which will take place on 17 June. “I hope that World Day to Combat Desertification this year marks a turning point for every country. We need to show, through practical action and cooperation, how every country is tacking or supporting these challenges at the front-end to preempt or minimize the potential impacts of the disasters, not just at the back-end after the disasters happen,” she stated. The United Nations General Assembly designated 17 June as the observance Day to raise public awareness about international efforts to combat desertification and the effects of drought. Ms Barbut thanked the Government and People of China, for offering to host the global observance event, which will take place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.  “China has vast experience in nursing degraded lands and man-made deserts back to health. This knowledge can and should benefit initiatives such as Africa’s Great Green Wall, the re-greening in southern Africa and the 20 X 20 Initiative in Latin America. We can create a better, more equal and climate change-resilient world,” she noted. “I also call on countries, the private sector, foundations and people of goodwill to support Africa  when the countries meet later in the year to develop concrete plans and policies to pre-empt, monitor and manage droughts,” Ms Barbut stated. The 2016 World Day campaign is also advancing the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in September last year. The Goals include a target to achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030. That is, a world where the land restored back to health equals to, or is more than, the amount degraded every year. For more information on the Day and previous events, visit: https://www2.unccd.int/actions/17-june-desertification-and-drought-day Contact for World Day to Combat Desertification: Yhori@unccd.int For Media information: wwischnewski@unccd.int

5 December 2015, Paris – More than USD 300 billion are needed per year to restore the world’s degraded land in order to achieve a new Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target by 2030, according to a new publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (GM). The joint discussion paper, Sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration: opportunities, challenges, and the way forward, was launched today at the Global Landscapes Forum in Paris during a session on "Investing in integrated landscapes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals". Currently, the world’s degraded land amounts to 2 billion hectares, which is equal to an area the size of South America. Each year an additional 12 million hectares of land are degraded, while 7.6 million hectares of forest are converted to other uses or lost through natural causes. “The degradation of the world’s land and forests is a serious threat to the livelihoods and food security of millions of people who depend on them, and there is an urgent need to invest in forest and landscape restoration to bring a significant portion of that degraded land back to a productive state,” said Douglas McGuire, Coordinator of the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism hosted by the Forestry Department of FAO. Funding falls short of global commitments Countries have already made ambitious commitments to forest and landscape restoration, including under Goal 15 of the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which sets a target (15.3) to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030. In addition, some countries had previously pledged to restore 150 million hectares by 2020 in the framework of the 2011 Bonn Challenge, and 350 million hectares by 2030 under the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. However, mobilization of funds is one of the chief constraints to achieving these global targets. The USD 300 billion a year needed for SDG target 15.3 aside, the Bonn Challenge is estimated to require USD 36 billion a year, and the New York Declaration USD 49 billion a year. “One of the main barriers is insufficient awareness of financing opportunities and investors’ lack of understanding of forest and landscape restoration,” said Markus Repnik, Managing Director of the GM. Key questions addressed at the Global Landscape Forum session on ‘’Investing in integrated landscapes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals’’ The GLF is one of the largest events held on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The session on ‘’Investing in integrated landscapes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals’’, at which the publication was launched, addressed a number of key questions on forest and landscape restoration financing, including: How are investments coordinated within integrated landscape initiatives? How can investors better engage with landscape stakeholders? How can these models be scaled-up and applied in the implementation of SDGs? The joint FAO-GM discussion paper addresses these issues by providing an overview of existing funding sources and financial instruments that could be adapted specifically for forest and landscape restoration purposes both at the local, national, regional and global levels. The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative launched a complementary publication at the same discussion forum entitled “Scaling up investment & finance for integrated landscape management: Challenges and innovations”. Innovative financing solutions proposed in the publication launched in Paris The FAO-GM discussion paper sets out key messages on financing for forest and landscape restoration for governments, development banks, international agencies, environmental funds, NGOs and private companies. It also proposes innovative and non-traditional ideas such as crowdfunding and green bank cards.  “With both governments and development agencies facing increasing funding shortages, long-term financing solutions may rely on private-sector investors – businesses and individuals – whether in the framework of corporate social responsibility or as investors looking for a mix of social and financial returns,” said Ludwig Liagre of the GM. The joint publication also identifies ways to create an enabling environment for sound investments in forest and landscape restoration and proposes recommendations for building and strengthening financial alliances. A joint FAO-GM public policy brief and infographic with key messages on sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration included in this publication were launched in October 2015 at the Forests and Landscape Forum - organized by the GM, FAO, and LPFN, among other partners- during the 12th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD in Ankara, Türkiye.   Related links: Discussion Paper on 'Sustainable financing for Forest and Landscape Restoration: opportunities, challenges, and the way forward' Infographic on Sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration: key messages Policy brief on ‘’Sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration: the role of public policy makers’’ FAO’s Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism Landscapes for People, Food and Nature publication

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), through its operational arm - the Global Mechanism – together with Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers dedicated to responsible investing, have signed an agreement to structure the first global fund dedicated to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality - the LDN Fund. French Caisse des Depôts is supporting the initiative. The Global Mechanism and Mirova are pleased to announce the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding with the objective of structuring the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund. The LDN Fund aims at creating a new investment territory: land rehabilitation and avoided degradation. The LDN Fund will be launched in December 2016. Achieving LDN is one of the year 2030 targets (target 15.3) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). LDN refers to a state whereby the amount of healthy and productive land resources necessary to support ecosystem services in a given community or country, or globally, remains at least stable. In October, the Parties to the UNCCD agreed to set up voluntary national targets to support the realization of the LDN target on a global level. The concept of an LDN Fund emerged in 2014 following consultations among institutions that were engaged in the identification of sustainable solutions to the challenge of land degradation. The Global Mechanism presented the first concept at the World Investment Forum in Geneva in October 2014. The fund should provide a coordination platform for blended finance and is expected to be set up as a Public-Private Partnership among institutional investors, impact investors, development finance institutions and donors committed to supporting LDN. It should be structured as a privately managed layered fund intending to generate returns for investors in line with their respective risk/return profiles. The Global Mechanism and Mirova are joining forces to turn the project into reality. Text from the joint press release issued by Mirova and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD in Paris on 3 December 2015.   Related links: Land Degradation Neutrality Fund Brochure (English) (1 MB) Land Degradation Neutrality Fund Brochure (French) (1021.15 KB) Land Degradation Neutrality Fund Brochure (Spanish) (1.13 MB) Download the Press Release (English) (470.14 KB) Download the Press Release (French) (397.38 KB)   For more information:  Simone Quatrini The Global Mechanism Tel. +49 228 815 2860 squatrini (at) unccd.int

World leaders and heads of major international agencies today pledged USD 4 billion over the next 5 years to step up implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative. Over the next 10 years, more than 50 million hectares of land will be restored. This will help sequester an estimated 250 million tons of carbon. The metaphoric Great Green Wall will provide sustainable alternatives for millions of young people, who are considering migrating from poverty-stricken areas in Africa’s Sahel region. Leaders expressed hope that the renewed commitment to the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative– Africa’s largest rural development project – will create new opportunities for communities right across the Sahel, while establishing greater resilience against climate change long into the future. The Great Green Wall – originally launched in 2007 – is taking root in Africa’s Sahel region, one of the world’s most vulnerable areas to climatic variability. Macky Sall, President of Senegal, said his country has “already planted 12 million trees and restored 25 000 ha of degraded land. This has helped boost long-term food, energy, water and economic security.” President Sall was speaking Tuesday morning at the Global Summit of the Heads of State and Government that are Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative member states. The Summit was hosted by France’s President François Holland, in parallel to the Climate Change Conference taking place in Paris, France. The Ministerial meeting held Wednesday morning with Heads of development agencies was the follow-up to the Summit, with renewed commitments coming from the Government of France, the African Development Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, and the European Union, as well as from the African leaders. The changes to Lake Chad, which borders five countries in West Africa and serves a large population in the region, including 2 million people who benefit directly, signal the depth of the crises. In just 30 years, the lake has shrunk by nearly ten times its original size from 25 000km2 to 2 500 km2. During this period, demand for water and arable land soared as the population around the lake rose from 22 million in 1991 to 38 million in 2012. The population is expected to reach 50 million by 2020. “The disappearance of Lake Chad is a security crisis that is fueling terrorist groups like Boko Haram”, said President Idriss Déby of Chad. He called for effective commitment on the ground to counter these threats. Persistent drought and land degradation in the Sahel are robbing land-dependent families of their livelihoods. Poverty, conflict over depleting natural resources, and increasingly, mass migration to Europe, are rife. More than 20 million people in the Sahel are currently food insecure, according to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs. The metaphoric Wall is a practical response taken by countries located along the southern margins of the Sahara Desert. “Ensuring vulnerable communities are resilient to climate change is our first line of defence against the growing challenges of forced migration, food insecurity, civil conflict and extremism. The constraints countries face demand that we take early and effective action in Africa and other regions of the world where people rely heavily on the land for survival,” commented Ms Monique Barbut, the UN’s top advisor on controlling the loss of productive land. “I commend the renewed commitment by the partners to the Great Green Wall, but hasten to add that it is in the interest of all countries to invest in land restoration. We can reduce the impact of future climate-induced disasters and quickly cut back the excess carbon dioxide emissions in the race to stay below a 2 degree Celsius target,” Ms Barbut added. A virtual reality film of the Wall, produced by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification together with global brand studio, Venture Three, is currently being shown at the Africa Pavilion, at the 21st Session of the United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Climate Change. The film titled, Growing a World Wonder, follows Binta, a young Senegalese girl, as she and her family tend to their section of the Wall. It explores the challenges they face and how the project is already transforming their lives for the better. “There are many world wonders, but the Great Green Wall will be unique and everyone can be a part of its history,” says Dr. Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission. “Together, we can change the future of African communities in the Sahel.” About the Great Green Wall The Great Green Wall is an African-led project with an epic ambition: to restore the productivity of degraded lands across the Sahel region and transform millions of lives. Its goal is to provide food, jobs and a future for the millions of people who live on the frontline of climate change. The Great Green Wall brings together African countries and international partners, under the leadership the African Union Commission, which includes the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the European Commission.   Article based on The African Union Commission Press Release, Paris, 02/12/2015 For interviews please contact: Elvis Paul Tangem, Coordinator, GGWSSI, African Union Commission, email: Elvispault@africa-union.org, Tel: +251936542733   Partners: THE AFRICAN UNION

Forest and Landscape Restoration is an active process that brings people together to identify, discuss and implement practices that restore an agreed optimal balance of the ecological, social and economic benefits of ecosystems within a broader pattern of sustainable land uses. Today we are seeing an unprecedented political momentum for supporting the ambitious targets set under the global ecosystem restoration agenda (CBD Aichi target 15, Bonn Challenge, New York Declaration on Forests, Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3 on Land Degradation Neutrality). This represents an opportunity to restore the often neglected abandoned and degraded agricultural lands that play a key role for food security and supporting local livelihoods. With political will, adequate policy and regulatory frameworks, sustainable financial support, effective partnerships for implementation, and meaningful engagement of local communities in both design and implementation phases, compelling and inspiring examples in countries -such as South Korea, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, China and India  teach us that achieving successful large scale land restoration is possible when the right enabling environment is in place. These aspects were extensively discussed from during the Ecosystem Restoration Day organized at the Rio Conventions Pavilion, on October 20th 2015. In this context the Forestry Department of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nation, the Global Mechanism shared the outcomes of the joint work that both organizations are undertaking to promote the sustainable financing of forests and landscape restoration efforts in support of FAO’s Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism. Participants drew on the expertise of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to discuss the key role of the private sector. There was consensus that: There is a need to promote strong business cases and successful business models to support of land restoration actions Successful solutions can be scaled up through business innovation, improved stakeholder collaboration, and the redefinition of core business values Clear communication in a language that private sector can relate to is paramount Meaningful and measurable LDN indicators will empower businesses and facilitate effective outreach efforts. The World Resources Institute also shared six key steps to support the scaling up of land restoration efforts on the ground: Identify and analyze successful ecosystem restoration cases Support peer learning, local engagement and ownership at the grass root level Create enabling policies and legislation Implement effective communication strategies to share success stories Develop agroforestry value chains that support local livelihoods Filling the current knowledge gap on costs and benefits of forest and landscape restoration actions Finally, The German Technical Cooperation and the World Resources Institute briefed participants on the African Restoration Initiative, recently launched by the African Union as a new regional initiative contributing to the global land restoration agenda.