Media Advisory: Desertification and Drought Day – 17 June 2025 

 Leaders to call for global land restoration as basis of peace  

On 17 June, leaders, civil society organizations, and Indigenous representatives will convene in Bogotá, Colombia to advocate for global land restoration as a foundation of food security, sustainable development, and lasting peace. 

As the world’s population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the growing demand for nutritious food and clean water means that restoring degraded land is no longer optional—it is an existential imperative. 

This year’s global observance of Desertification and Drought Day, hosted by Colombia and led by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) under the theme ‘Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities will spotlight the undeniable economic, social, and environmental benefits of land restoration for people and the planet.  

Every US$1 used to restore land yields a return of US$7 to US$30 through enhanced ecosystem services and livelihoods, making for an investment case that the world cannot afford to overlook. Nations need to invest US$1 billion per day by 2030 to bring some 1.5 billion hectares of land back to health in support of human security and dignity, according to UNCCD. 

Journalists, policymakers, and stakeholders are invited to attend and cover this high-level event. 

What: Global Observance event of Desertification and Drought Day 2025 

When: 18:30 -19:30 hours (Bogota time), 17 June 2025 

Where: Cra. 10 #26-21, Bogotá, Colombia 

Key Speakers:  

• Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of the Republic of Colombia 
• Martha Carvajalino, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia.  
• Lena Estrada, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia  
• Andrea Meza, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCCD  
• Ayman Ghulam, representative of the UNCCD COP16 Presidency  
• Pallab Chakma, representative of the Global Land Forum  

Notes 

How to cover the global observance event: 

• Register here to attend the event in Bogotá; and access the press kit with audiovisual materials on the event. 

• Follow the livestreaming link to the opening and high-level segments on the UNCCD Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@THEUNCCD 

For media enquiries and interviews requests, please contact:                                                  

UNCCD Press Office press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)  

For more information:  Website of Desertification and Drought Day 2025 

About the global observance of Desertification and Drought Day in Bogota 

The global observance is part of the Global Land Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, the Center for Research and Popular Education/Peace Program (CINEP) as lead for a National Organizing Committee of civil society actors, the European Union and the International Land Coalition.  

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. 

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. The global observance of Desertification and Drought Day 2025 is hosted by Colombia. The observance was held as part of the Global Land Forum, organized by the Government of Colombia in partnership with the International Land Coalition. 

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).