Press releases

US$1.3 billion portfolio of finance for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries, with rangelands at its centre through a US$1.2 billion portfolio spanning 45 projects  Progress toward Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), with Brazil presenting a new voluntary 2030 LDN target comprising 17 sub-targets, while Central Asia has already achieved half of its LDN targets.The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, launched by Saudi Arabia at COP16, moved closer to operational delivery in Ulaanbaatar, advancing work on a proposed pooled fund to support around 70 vulnerable countries.  UNCCD and Luxembourg launched the Drought Resilience Investment Facility, which aims to mobilize up to US$400 million in public and private capital for drought resilience. ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, 28 August 2026 — After two weeks of negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) concluded today in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Across the negotiated and Action Agenda tracks, Ulaanbaatar brought together key elements of implementation: political direction, science, finance, investment-ready projects, partnerships and stronger participation by the people who manage the world’s land. The biannual meeting of the UNCCD's 197 Parties put the world’s rangelands — which cover 54 per cent of the Earth's land surface, support around two billion people and are stewarded by some 500 million pastoralists — at the centre of the global land agenda.  Launched in Ulaanbaatar during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, the Rangelands Flagship Initiative brings together US$1.2 billion across 45 projects, the largest single mobilization for rangelands in the Convention’s history.  Alongside the negotiations, COP17 delivered a series of initiatives and financial commitments aimed at accelerating action on land restoration and drought resilience.  Governments, development banks, funds and companies announced a US$1.3 billion portfolio of finance across 23 countries on five continents, at different stages of development. This includes US$644.5 million identified as new finance, of which US$216.4 million is already confirmed and moving towards implementation. UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said: “We came to Ulaanbaatar saying that COP17 must be a COP of implementation. We leave with more of the architecture needed to make that possible. - political decisions, stronger science, innovative financing mechanisms, investment pipelines and partnerships that can move solutions to scale. But Ulaanbaatar will not be judged by what was announced inside this conference. Its legacy will be measured by what happens next: whether countries are better prepared for drought, whether degraded land and rangelands are restored, whether finance reaches viable projects, and whether the people who manage the land see a real difference in their lives.” H.E. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and UNCCD COP17 President, said: "As the Host Country and President of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Mongolia has worked in the spirit of ensuring open, transparent, inclusive and consensus-driven atmosphere for the discussions and striving to bring Parties’ positions closer in order to achieve tangible results. Within the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, Mongolia has demonstrated to the world that pastures form a strategically important ecosystem which connects food, environment, economy, biodiversity and herdcers’ livelihoods. In exercizing the Presidency of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Mongolia was guided by the principle of “from promises to implementation and from discussions to real work”. H.E. Sandag-Ochir Tsend, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia and Chair of the National Committee for the Organization of UNCCD COP17, said: "Mongolia successfully hosted the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), bringing countries from around the world together to advance practical solutions to desertification, land degradation, and drought. One of the conference’s most significant outcomes for Mongolia was securing support from Parties, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society for the “Steppe Plan”a key policy legacy of COP17. Under the Steppe Plan, the Government of Mongolia officially launched three international initiatives: the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, the Water–Land Nexus Initiative, and the Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative. These initiatives have created new opportunities to develop projects, strengthen international cooperation, and mobilize investment in these priority areas. Although COP17 concludes today, our work does not end here. Our next priority is to translate the decisions adopted, partnerships established, and investment commitments secured at the conference into tangible action and to ensure that the initiatives launched from Mongolia’s steppes deliver measurable results." From commitments to implementation The conference took place against a stark global backdrop. Up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, while countries have committed to restoring more than one billion hectares by 2030. More than 70 countries now have national drought plans, compared with only three in 2013, but financing and implementation continue to lag behind the scale and speed of the challenge. Against this backdrop, Parties called for greater mobilization of financial resources, capacity-building and technical cooperation to strengthen proactive drought management, particularly in African countries, without neglecting other affected developing countries. A significant body of new evidence presented in Ulaanbaatar highlighted both the costs of inaction and the benefits of investing in healthy land. New reports examined the economics of restoring the world’s rangelands, the growing human and economic impacts of drought, the particular challenges facing Small Island Developing States and Central Asia, and the value of investing in soil health. The findings showed that 18.8 million hectares of land are degraded across SIDS, while in Central Asia more than 80 million hectares — over a quarter of the region — are already degraded, affecting 24 million people. At the same time, all five Central Asian countries have adopted voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality targets, half of which have already been met. Together, the reports showed how land degradation and drought are affecting food and water security, livelihoods and economies across diverse regions, while making the economic case for prevention, sustainable land management and restoration. Alongside this new evidence, Brazil presented a major national commitment through its voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target for 2030, comprising 17 sub-targets linked to national policies, plans and programmes. The target includes the recovery or restoration of more than 163,000 km², including through native vegetation recovery and agroforestry systems, while a further 3.51 million km² are covered by measures aimed at preventing degradation through conservation and sustainable land management. Together, the 17 sub-targets cover approximately 3.67 million km². This commitment supports Brazil’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 15.3 by avoiding, reducing and reversing land degradation, while strengthening food and water security, biodiversity and climate resilience. A new global architecture for drought resilience Following sustained negotiations, Parties decided to continue discussions at COP18, building on progress made at COP16 and COP17, with a view to adopting a decision on the proactive management of drought at all levels. Parties also decided that drought will remain a stand-alone agenda item at COP18 and at each ordinary session thereafter. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, established at COP16, moved towards implementation in Ulaanbaatar. Its first Assembly of Partners advanced work on a proposed pooled fund intended to help around 70 low- and lower-middle-income countries through capacity-building, investment-ready programmes and financing for drought resilience. COP17 also saw the launch of the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), the first global catalytic financing platform dedicated to drought resilience. Co-created by UNCCD and Luxembourg with support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance, the Facility aims to mobilize up to US$400 million in public and private capital for investments in water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions and land restoration. Its first strategic partnership with the Global Environment Facility will explore opportunities to unlock private and philanthropic finance. Phase II of the International Drought Resilience Observatory also introduced the world’s first Drought Resilience Index, providing countries with a new tool to assess their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought and to better target policies and investment. Finance for land moves up the agenda COP17 also sought to narrow the gap between global land commitments and the finance available to deliver them. z zzzz An estimated US$355 billion a year is needed through 2030 to meet global land restoration commitments, compared with around US$77 billion currently invested, leaving an annual financing gap of US$278 billion. Private finance accounts for only around six per cent of global investment in land restoration.  Governments, development banks, funds and companies announced a US$1.3 billion portfolio of finance for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries on five continents, at different stages of development. Of this, US$644.5 million is identified as new finance, with US$216.4 million already confirmed and moving towards implementation. The portfolio spans rangeland and landscape restoration, drought resilience and locally led adaptation. Discussions in Ulaanbaatar also focused on addressing barriers that have kept investment in land low, including how to make land, soil health and drought resilience more visible and trackable within existing nature-finance categories. Participants also explored greater use of guarantees, first-loss capital, insurance and project-preparation facilities to turn restoration plans into investment-ready projects. Host country Mongolia launched the first national Business 4 Land (B4L) Hub, alongside sustainable finance principles, a national green taxonomy and a target for 10 per cent green lending by 2030. Russia followed with its own national hub, while Luxembourg moved to establish a B4L Foundation and Germany supported a B4L Finance Expert Group. Rangelands: from overlooked ecosystems to economic assets Hosted by Mongolia during the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, COP17 gave particular prominence to rangelands and the people who manage them. Parties recognized pastoralists as essential stewards of rangeland ecosystems, highlighting the importance of transboundary mobility and the value of pastoralists’ knowledge and experience. Despite their global importance, rangelands remain largely overlooked in policy and investment: they contain roughly onethird of the world’s key biodiversity areas, yet feature in the national climate plans of only 24 countries, compared with 181 for forests.  New economic analysis presented in Ulaanbaatar estimated that rangelands generate US$21–47 trillion in ecosystem services every year — up to nearly half of global GDP — through benefits including food production, water, carbon storage and biodiversity. Restoring rangelands typically returns US$4–6 for every dollar invested, rising to as much as US$36 when wider public benefits such as water supply are included.  The Rangelands Flagship Initiative announced at COP17 seeks to translate that economic case into investment, bringing together projects supporting sustainable rangeland management, restoration and pastoralist livelihoods.  The Global Environment Facility is supporting coordination of the initiative through a US$3.3 million investment in the UNCCD COP17 Legacy Project. Over the past four years, the Fund has also approved more than 50 projects worth over US$300 million benefiting rangelands and pastoralist communities. Indigenous Peoples and local communities convene new caucuses at COP17 The conference marked the first formal meetings of the UNCCD Indigenous Peoples Caucus and Local Communities Caucus, following the decision by Parties at COP16 in Riyadh to establish the two bodies and provide dedicated spaces for their perspectives and priorities within the Convention. It also brought together the largest representation of Indigenous Peoples in the history of a UNCCD Conference of the Parties. A high-level special event on Land and People Day highlighted Indigenous Peoples as rights holders, knowledge holders and implementation partners, focusing on Indigenous knowledge systems, customary governance, sustainable pastoralism, land stewardship and direct access to finance for Indigenous-led action. Across COP17, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities called for stronger land and mobility rights, greater direct access to finance, meaningful participation in decision-making and recognition of Indigenous and traditional knowledge in land restoration and drought resilience. Discussions also highlighted women and youth leadership, including calls to invest in young people as land restoration leaders and strengthen their participation in action on land and drought. From Mongolia to Egypt The next session of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties, COP18, is expected to take place in Egypt, in 2028, carrying forward the momentum built in Ulaanbaatar. Looking ahead, Egypt has emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation and promoting integrated approaches to land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss that strengthen food and water security and resilience. COP18 will provide the next major milestone for countries to assess progress on land restoration and drought resilience and build on the outcomes reached in Ulaanbaatar. Notes to editors For media enquiries and interview requests:  UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.int COP17 decisions are available here: https://www.unccd.int/cop17/official-documents 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.    

The proposed voluntary country-led Rio Synergies Group for Action would help countries translate climate, biodiversity and land priorities into more coherent planning, investment and implementation, while reducing duplication and reporting burdens.Ulaanbaatar, 27 August 2026 – In a push to transform political momentum into practical action, Ministers, current and incoming Rio Convention COP Presidencies, the Executive Secretaries of the three Rio Conventions, international organizations and financial institutions on 26 August at UNCCD COP17 held a High-Level Dialogue on strengthening cooperation across the climate, biodiversity and land degradation issues.The event launched the COP31 Presidency Process, led by Türkiye, towards a proposed Rio Synergies Group for Action. The proposed Action group is intended to support a voluntary, country led implementation by connecting existing national priorities across climate, biodiversity and land with existing partnerships, technical expertise, implementation, knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and financing opportunities.The aim is not to create another parallel structure, but to help countries connect the pieces they already have, national plans, science, projects, finance and partnerships, and make them work together more effectively on the ground.Several countries, including Australia, Ireland, Japan, Maldives and Sierra Leone, and the heads of the UN entities supported the idea, emphasizing the multiple benefits of such a group to countries. A coordinated and integrated approach brings efficiency, cost-savings, reduces the planning and reporting burdens on countries and will help countries to respond practically to environmental challenges that communities experience as multiple, not single crises.It can also help countries identify programmes and investments capable of delivering simultaneously for land restoration, climate resilience, biodiversity and development, rather than financing each agenda in isolation.The High-level Dialogue, “From Ambition to Action: Delivering Rio Convention Synergies across the Triple COP Year,” is the first high-level opportunity during the 2026 Triple COP Year to consider how political momentum for Rio Convention synergies can be translated into practical, country-led implementation.Convened by the Presidencies of UNCCD COP17, incoming CBD COP17 and incoming UNFCCC COP31, the Dialogue underscored the continuity of political leadership across the 2026 Triple COP Year, beginning with UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, continuing in October to COP17 of the Biodiversity Convention under the Presidency of Armenia in Yerevan, and culminating with UNFCCC COP31 in November under the Presidency of Türkiye in Antalya.The process offers interested countries and partners an opportunity to contribute to the co-development of the proposed voluntary, country-led Group, with a view to its formal launch at UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya.Speakers explained why stronger synergy among the Convention’s matters now more than ever, proposed some guiding principles for such an Action Group and explained the multiple benefits to be gained through synergy. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, UNCCD Executive Secretary said: “Rio synergies need to deliver in three areas: stronger national policy coherence with less bureaucratic burden for countries, tangible action on the ground and greater engagement of the private sector to mobilize investment. The real test is whether we can connect national priorities to integrated programmes, programmes to finance, and finance to implementation that delivers multiple benefits for people and landscapes. We do not need another layer of process. We need the systems we already have to work together more effectively and at scale”Ms. Fatma Varank, Türkiye Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye, who represented the incoming UNFCCC COP31 Presidency at the Dialogue, emphasized the need for coherence and efficiency in implementing agreements, and the importance of dialogue in building momentum for synergy towards COP31.Synergy, she said, does not equal merging mandates, rather, it achieves greater scale, coherence, efficiency, reduced duplication and yields multiple benefits.Mr. Andrew Berryman, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Australia in Mongolia, representing UNFCCC COP31 Presidency of Negotiations said a voluntary, country-led and practical Rio Synergies Group for Action could strengthen coordination across institutions, including through leveraging existing mechanisms and delivering more with less.Mr. Andranik Grigoryan, Government of Armenia representing the incoming Presidency of CBD COP17, said one of the lessons emerging from the global report reviewing progress in  the implementation of the Kunming Montreal global biodiversity framework is the need for cooperation, integrated and coordinated action among stakeholders. The draft report is currently undergoing peer review and will be launched at CBD COP17.Integrating action among the three Conventions at the national level, he said, can reduce institutional and regulatory burdens and enhance the process, for instance, by sharing science, capacity building on several agendas, and in finance, through shared solutions.Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said the study shows 80 percent of biodiversity delivers for climate, but only 22 percent of climate finance delivers for biodiversity, and that a re-set is needed in how we approach the mandates to help countries to align plans, reduce the reporting burden and avoid leaving people behind.H.E. Mr. Shigeharu Aoyama, Japan’s State Minister of the Environment, said synergy should minimize trade-offs, while maximizing co-benefits, and highlighted the results of an Asia-Pacific synergies report: advancing synergistic solutions to the triple planetary crisis and the SDGs whose more than 104 case studies on synergy demonstrate the benefits of shared knowledge and tangible action on the ground.Citing the same study, Inger Andersen, United Nations Environment Program Executive Director, reported that significant financial savings of up to 24 percent, equivalent to 6.4 billion United States dollars could be achieved by 2050. Synergy would be especially useful in developing plans on the ground and in reporting by the Conventions, she said. H.E. Mr. Timmy Dooley, Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy, said implementation should be interconnected, particularly with regards to national priorities, implementation partners, and connecting ambition with finance. H.E. Ali Shareef, Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy of the Republic of Maldives said integration is “not a convenience” but borne of “necessity” for Small Island States (SIDs), and called for a dialogue on synergy that can close the gap SIDs encounter, for instance in indicators that are calibrated individually, and in the case of UNCCD, action that is limited to arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid zones. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, called for alignment between the politics and the realities and practicalities of the Conventions. He urged Parties to be very practical and to reduce the burden of reporting on countries. Supporting the idea of an Action Group, Samed Ağırbaş, Climate High-Level Champion of the COP31 Presidency said there is no need for another parallel system. Rather, implementation that connects solutions is what is needed.H.E. Ms. Ruth Davis OBE, United Kingdom Special Representative for Nature, stressed the need for practical progress – synergistic solutions – because people experience the land, biodiversity and climate change challenges as multiple crises, not as single crisis.The outgoing Presidencies of UNCCD COP16, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and UNFCCC COP30, Brazil, highlighted their past contributions to the Belém process and statement on the Rio Conventions and praised the progress and momentum building up towards COP31 in Türkiye.Türkiye formally endorsed the Belém Joint Statement on the Rio Conventions, becoming the final incoming Rio Convention COP Presidency to join the shared political commitment.Media contact:Wagaki WischnewskiCommunications Officer/UNCCD G20 Global Land InitiativeM: +49 (0)173 268 7593/+976 99207536email: wwischnewski@unccd.int

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 26 August 2026 (UNCCD) - From remote islands to large steppes, land resources are under increasing pressure from poor management, overexploitation and drought exacerbated by climate change, UN experts warn. The Global Land Outlook (GLO) reports on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and on Central Asia, launched today by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), document a serious decline in the health and productivity of land and water resources across more than 50 countries and territories, undermining their long-term sustainable development and in some cases threatening their very survival. More importantly, both reports offer a transformative vision for reversing this decline and boosting the resilience of communities living in these unique geographic contexts.SIDS offer scalable solutions for managing their most precious asset—landComprising 39 states and 18 territories, SIDS are home to around 74 million people in the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as the South China Sea. These diverse nations and territories also boast some of the world’s most extraordinary natural assets, cultural heritage and traditional ecological knowledge. Some18.8 million hectares of land — equivalent to 16.5% of SIDS’ total land area — is degraded to varying extents, slightly above the global average, intensifying competition over scarce natural resources.The inherent attributes of SIDS — their small size, geographic isolation, tight ecological connectivity and community stewardship — make them ideal incubators of innovation for the implementation of integrated land and water management approaches that account for the close linkages between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. These approaches also have the potential to generate nature-positive, economic development models that can be scaled up from islands to continents.Central Asia, an epicentre of degradation, is halfway towards meeting 2030 land targetsCentral Asia, a region once celebrated for its sweeping steppes and fertile oases, is now one of the world’s epicentres of land degradation. Over 80 million hectares – more than a quarter of the region – are already degraded, affecting nearly 30% of the population – 24 million people living across five Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.The GLO Central Asia Thematic Report takes stock of the current situation. “All five Central Asian states have embraced National Voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Targets  under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15.3, and half of these targets are already met. This is not a moment of triumph – it is the end of denial. LDN has moved from theory into practice, now embedded in national green economy strategies, agricultural development plans, and climate adaptation policies”, states the report.The countries of Central Asia maintain broad international partnerships, with regional and interregional cooperation, strongly supported by the Convention, serving as an important platform for collaboration with governments, international organizations, development finance institutions, and private-sector investors to advance sustainable land management and strengthen climate resilience. “Despite very different geographies and challenges, both SIDS and Central Asian countries show that vulnerability does not have to mean inevitability. SIDS can become laboratories for integrated land and water solutions that connect ecosystems, communities and development, while Central Asia is demonstrating how land degradation neutrality can move from targets into national policy and practice. The priority now is to accelerate that progress — by investing in land stewardship, strengthening regional and international cooperation, and ensuring that people and ecosystems remain at the centre of development decisions,” says UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad.These two GLO reports were released during the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UNCCD underway in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Representatives of 196 countries and the European Union are gathered for negotiations on future policy directions for land restoration and drought resilience. UNCCD is the first of the three Rio Conventions COPs convening this year, ahead of the biodiversity COP in Armenia in October and the climate COP in Türkiye in November.For more information:UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.intNotes to EditorsThe full reports can be accessed online at: GLO  Small Island Developing States thematic reportGLO Central Asia thematic reportReports by the numbers:SIDSDespite covering less than 0.5 per cent of the world's total surface area, SIDS are home to over 20% of the world’s biodiversity, with 9.5 times more endemic species richness than mainland areas.18.8 million hectares — or 16.5% of the total land area of all SIDS — were reported as degraded.43% of the total land area of SIDS, were affected by drought, of which 3% experienced severe drought and 6% extreme drought. The total area affected by extreme drought rose by 30% across all SIDS.Over 70% of SIDS face a risk of water shortages, a figure which rises to 91% in low-lying SIDS.An estimated 16.3 million people face severe food insecurity across SIDS, with 11.5 million being undernourished.SIDS receive only around USD 2 billion in public adaptation finance per year — approximately 0.2% of total global climate finance. They will require at least USD 11.7 billion annually for adaptation purposes — nearly six times the current level of funding.Between 2016 and 2023, an average of around USD 487 million per year in development finance to SIDS targeted efforts to combat desertification, land degradation and drought.Central AsiaOver 80 million hectares – more than a quarter of the region, an area approximately four times the size of Kyrgyzstan – are already degraded.Every year, Central Asia loses between USD 2 and 6 billion to land degradation.Central Asia is heating at twice the global average. The glaciers – once the “water towers” of the region – have shrunk by 30% in just fifty years. 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.

The Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), the first global catalytic financing platform aims to mobilize up to USD 400 million in public and private capital for drought resilience.The world's first Drought Resilience Index will provide a new basis for targeting policies and investments to reduce drought risk. COP17 advances work towards a new global pooled fund to help around 70 low- and lower-middle-income countries strengthen drought resilience Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 26 August 2026 --- By 2050, three out of four people worldwide could face drought. Responding to that challenge, the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) marked a significant step towards shifting the global response to drought from crisis management to proactive resilience.A series of announcements and launches at COP17 are strengthening the way countries finance, measure and implement drought resilience. Three distinct initiatives mark this progress: the launch by Luxembourg and UNCCD of the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), a new catalytic finance platform aiming to mobilize up to USD 400 million in public and private capital; progress towards a global pooled fund to support drought resilience in low- and lower-middle-income countries; and the unveiling of the world’s first Drought Resilience Index.Taken together, these initiatives reflect growing recognition that drought can no longer be managed as an isolated environmental challenge. It is a systemic risk requiring stronger governance, investment in preparedness, and coordinated action before its impacts cascade into wider social and economic crises. UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said: "COP17 is about turning commitments into implementation. We now have stronger financing mechanisms, better tools and practical guidance to help countries prepare for drought before it becomes a crisis. The task now is to connect these pieces and put them to work at scale, through governments, development partners, financial institutions and the private sector.” Mobilizing investment in drought resilienceWater Day at COP17 marked the launch of the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), the first global catalytic finance platform dedicated to drought resilience. Co-created by the Government of Luxembourg and the UNCCD, with the support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), DRIF is designed to use public and catalytic capital to reduce investment risks and unlock much larger flows of institutional and private finance.  With an ambition to mobilize up to USD 400 million in public and private capital, DRIF will invest in commercially viable projects and businesses that strengthen drought resilience while generating measurable environmental, social and financial returns.Rather than approaching water security, sustainable agriculture, land restoration and nature-based solutions as separate investment themes, DRIF brings them together through a single lens: their contribution to drought resilience.Its ambition also extends beyond the capital mobilized by the Facility itself. DRIF aims to demonstrate that investments in drought resilience can be commercially viable, build a track record for the sector and help establish resilience as an investable proposition capable of attracting much larger flows of private capital over time.Gilles Roth, Minister of Finance of Luxembourg said: “Luxembourg’s EUR 5 million commitment to the Facility reflects a simple idea: public money can help bring much more private investment into areas where it is urgently needed. Together with the UNCCD, we want the Drought Resilience Investment Facility to turn promising ideas into investable projects and help bring them to scale. The aim is to make investment in drought resilience possible where the market alone would not get us there.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg provided an initial contribution of USD 2 million to support the design, structuring and establishment of DRIF.Minister Xavier Bettel said: “As a founding partner of DRIF,  Luxembourg is proud to help advance innovative solutions to drought, one of the most pressing challenges facing vulnerable communities worldwide. By bringing together public and private partners, DRIF will help channel investment towards solutions that reduce vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of communities, economies and ecosystems, while delivering environmental, social and financial returns. This initiative reflects our commitment to building resilience before drought becomes a crisis.” At COP17, the Facility also announced its first strategic partnership with the Global Environment Facility(GEF), with the objective of exploring opportunities to unlock private and philanthropic finance through the GEF’s Blended Finance Program. Expanding finance for countriesAlongside DRIF, work is advancing on a proposed pooled fund under the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership (RGDRP) to help around 70 low- and lower-middle-income countries strengthen drought resilience.The proposed fund would support capacity-building, the development of investment-ready programmes and financing for drought-resilience investments. The Partnership's first Assembly of Partners during COP17 advanced discussions on the Fund and the transition from institutional set-up towards operational delivery.  Saudi Arabia, the RGDRP’s founding donor, pledged USD 150 million to the pooled Fund at COP16.  The Fund will be open to additional contributions from governments and donors, including through grants and official development assistance. It will complement separate financing from development banks and other partners, including USD 2 billion pledged by the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund at COP16.  Dr. Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment of Saudi Arabia, said: “Drought resilience is an urgent necessity; every dollar invested in drought preparedness pays off many times over when drought strikes. Saudi Arabia is proud to have established the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership during COP16 as an umbrella for international collaboration to strengthen drought resilience in vulnerable low- and lower-middle-income countries, with voluntary contributions from governments and the private sector. RGDRP will help countries develop and implement drought resilience plans by strengthening partnerships and leveraging innovation, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.” Assessing drought resilience Another milestone was the unveiling of Phase II of the International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), the first global observatory dedicated to drought resilience.Developed by UNCCD with Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture (Yale CEA) and partners under the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the launch marks IDRO's transition from the pilot version unveiled at COP16 to an online platform that can help countries move beyond monitoring drought hazards to strengthening their resilience.   At its core is the world's first Drought Resilience Index (DRI), enabling countries to assess their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought while identifying vulnerabilities and informing more effective policies and investments. New AI-powered features can help policy-makers, technical experts and the public interpret complex data and turn it into practical insights. Featuring eight in-depth country case studies across five continents, the platform is now open for review to users worldwide, whose feedback will help further refine the tool.  Moving forward, the focus will be on working with IDRA member countries to assess how the tool can inform and enhance their decision-making processes. María Jesús Rodríguez de Sancho, Director General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification, which co-chairs IDRA with Senegal, said: “As a Mediterranean country, Spain knows first-hand the economic, social and environmental costs of drought. Our experience has shown us that resilience cannot be built through isolated efforts. That is why Spain has invested in the development of IDRO and the Drought Resilience Index as part of the drive to proactively manage drought risk.” COP17 as an opportunity The initiatives advanced at COP17 address different parts of the same challenge: helping countries anticipate drought, understand where resilience needs to be strengthened, develop investable solutions and mobilize the public and private capital needed to implement them.Speaking at the opening of the Ministerial Dialogue on Drought Resilience, UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said: “We cannot continue to wait for drought to become a crisis before we act. We have the tools, partnerships and financial mechanisms to invest in preparedness, reduce losses and protect people and communities. COP17 must deliver a strong outcome on drought, backed by the means of implementation needed to turn ambition into action at national and local level, where drought resilience is ultimately built.” For Mongolia, the host of COP17, the conference carries particular significance. Prime Minister Nyam-Osor Uchral said: “The biggest change we want to see from COP17 is a shift from words to action, from targets to implementation, and from commitments to measurable results. Let us make drought resilience not only an environmental priority, but a core part of development policy.” For media enquiries UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.intAbout UNCCD  The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land and the only binding global treaty on 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 to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. About UNCCD COP17 The seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is taking place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026 under the theme "Restoring Land, Restoring Hope." Bringing together the Convention's 197 Parties, alongside international organizations, financial institutions, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, the private sector and civil society, COP17 focuses on accelerating global action on land restoration and drought resilience through stronger finance, partnerships and science. About IDRA About IDRA The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) is the first global coalition creating political momentum and mobilizing financial and technical resources for a drought-resilient future. As a growing platform of more than 70 countries and institutions, IDRA draws on the collective strengths of its members to advance policies, actions, and capacity-building for drought preparedness, acknowledging we are only as resilient to drought and climate change as our land is. The work of IDRA is aligned with, and supportive of, the mandate of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which hosts the IDRA Secretariat. For more information: https://idralliance.global. 

Mongolia launches a national Business4Land Hub and sets a 10 per cent green lending target New finance backs rangelands and drought resilience across 23 countries on five continents Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 24 August 2026 — Governments, development banks, funds and companies meeting at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) have announced US$1.3 billion in new and pipeline finance for land restoration and drought resilience, spanning commitments in 23 countries across five continents. At the centre of the new finance is a major push on rangelands — an issue of particular importance to host country Mongolia. The Rangelands Flagship Initiative, currently valued at US$1.2 billion across 45 named projects, was launched in Ulaanbaatar during the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, a designation championed by Mongolia. It is the largest single mobilisation for rangelands in the Convention's history. Of the finance announced at COP17, US$644.5 million is currently identified as new finance, with US$216.4 million already confirmed and moving towards implementation.  Mongolia's domestic finance agenda Mongolia came to COP17 with a series of measures aimed at bringing more domestic finance into land restoration. These include sector-wide sustainable finance principles, a national green taxonomy, and a target of 10 per cent green lending by 2030. Mongolia also launched a national Business4Land (B4L) Hub, bringing the Convention's private-sector platform to the country level for the first time. Russia followed with a hub of its own, while Luxembourg moved to establish a Business4Land Foundation and Germany funded the B4L Finance Expert Group. Rangelands: a flagship that arrived with a portfolio Rangelands cover more than half of the world's land surface and support the livelihoods of around two billion people, including some 500 million pastoralists. Yet up to half of these ecosystems are degraded or at risk, making investment in their restoration critical for food security, livelihoods and drought resilience. The economic case for that investment is significant. Rangelands generate benefits estimated at US$21–47 trillion a year, including through food production, water, carbon storage and biodiversity. Restoring rangelands typically returns US$4–6 for every dollar invested — and, when wider public benefits such as water supply are included, returns can reach as high as US$36 for every dollar invested. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports coordination of the Rangelands Flagship Initiative through a US$3.3 million investment in the UNCCD COP17 Legacy Project. Over the past four years, GEF has also approved more than 50 projects worth over US$300 million supporting sustainable rangeland management and restoration, as well as pastoralist livelihoods.  The Asian Development Bank put US$113 million behind the Green Inclusive Regional Agribusiness Fund, while the Green Climate Fund backed two projects in Botswana and Mongolia and TWENDE in Kenya with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).The Adaptation Fund committed US$9.1 million to locally led adaptation with Indigenous Peoples and local communities across Africa, while the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) backed Forests4Future (US$76 million) and three further programmes across Southern Africa. Peace Parks Foundation and Conservation International brought Herding for Health (US$35 million), while the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) brought the STELARR Investment Hub (US$22 million). Twelve of the projects are delivered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), six with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and three with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) — showing how the UN system and development partners are beginning to converge around a common implementation agenda for rangelands. The significance of the Flagship is therefore not only its financial value. It is the emergence of an investment pipeline around ecosystems that have historically been under-recognized and underinvested, despite their importance to food systems, livelihoodsand resilience. “Land is not simply an environmental issue — it is economic infrastructure. It underpins food, water, jobs and stability, and when land fails, the costs are felt across economies and communities. What we are seeing in Ulaanbaatar is a shift from talking about the financing gap to building the pathways that can move investment into implementation, from stronger project pipelines and de-risking instruments to public-private partnerships. Ultimately, this finance will be judged by whether it reaches the people and landscapes that need it.” — Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD “Rangelands are vital ecosystems, yet they have long been underfunded. Through the new UNCCD COP17 Legacy Project and other projects that are joining the Rangeland Flagship Initiative, the GEF is supporting the implementation of successful rangelands management and restoration at scale by combining our investments with strong partnerships.” — Chizuru Aoki, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Conventions and Funds Division of the Global Environmental Facility Development banks step up — and land moves towards its own investment category The Ministerial Dialogue on innovative financial mechanisms brought together high-level representatives of the World Bank Group, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, GEF and Green Climate Fund to advance finance for land restoration and drought resilience. Country Parties and development banks highlighted the need to make investment in land, soil health and drought resilience more visible and trackable within existing nature finance categories — based on a simple principle: what is measured is more likely to attract investment. There was broad support for scaling guarantees, first-loss capital and index-based insurance. The need is particularly acute in Africa, where only 3 per cent of smallholders have agricultural insurance, compared with 20 per cent elsewhere in the developing world. Participants also backed project preparation facilities to build a pipeline of investment-ready projects, particularly in least developed countries and fragile contexts, and called for simpler access to multilateral funds. Other options discussed included debt-for-nature swaps, nature-performance bonds, sustainability-linked bonds and country platforms. The discussions were backed by concrete financial commitments. At the African Union High-Level Event, the African Development Bank committed US$100 million to the Zambezi River Basin programme, spanning eight countries, alongside the Southern Africa Great Green Wall Accelerator — both confirmed, with board approval pathways already defined. Further finance commitments Luxembourg committed €5 million in catalytic first-loss capital to the Drought Resilience Investment Facility, Spain €5 million to the second phase of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), and Germany a further €11 million to CompensActions. The Korea Forest Service, UNDP and the Global Mechanism opened the Greening Drylands Partnership call for proposals, channeling US$2.4 million in small grants directly to community implementers. Business: from concept to country presence Private sector finance currently accounts for only around 6 per cent of global investment in land restoration. The B4L Hubs launched in Ulaanbaatar aims to help close that gap at national level, complementing global efforts to mobilize private investment. The challenge is not simply to ask businesses to invest more. It is to create the conditions that allow investment to move into land restoration at scale, including stronger project pipelines, credible data, clearer policy signals, and mechanisms that help manage early-stage risk. The launch of national Business4Land Hubs marks an important step in bringing that architecture closer to where investment decisions are made. Mongolia established the first national B4L Hub, followed by Russia, while Luxembourg moved to establish a Business4Land Foundation and Germany supported the B4L Finance Expert Group. Together, these initiatives are designed to connect national priorities, companies, financial institutions, and investment opportunities more directly. “Six per cent is not a rounding error; it is a verdict on how regenerative landscapes have been packaged for investors. Business does not lack appetite for resilient supply chains, secure water and productive soil – it lacks bankable projects, credible data and a fair share of the early risk.  That's why businesses are calling for more coherent policy frameworks, stronger public-private collaboration and investment conditions that enable regenerative landscapes to be scaled. First-loss capital, national Business for Land Hubs and a Business4Land Foundation will start to fix this. This is not charity – it is balance-sheet risk that business has every reason to tackle.” — Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) The investment case Ministers agreed that the scale of the financing challenge cannot be met through grants alone, particularly at a time when official development assistance contracted by 23.1 per cent in 2025 and roughly half of low-income countries are in or at high risk of debt distress. The scale of the gap remains enormous. The UNCCD financial needs assessment estimates that US$355 billion a year is needed through 2030 to meet global land restoration commitments, compared with current investment of US$77 billion — an annual shortfall of US$278 billion. The cost of inaction is estimated at US$878 billion a year, while investing in healthy land could generate benefits of up to US$1.8 trillion annually. Closing that gap will also require governments to look beyond traditional development finance, including through tax relief for restoration, payments for ecosystem services and the repurposing of environmentally harmful subsidies, of which some US$2.4 trillion is public. Separately, the FIELD facility set out an intention to catalyse a further US$2 billion in land restoration finance across Asia and the Pacific. As this is a financing ambition rather than committed funding, it is not included in the totals above. Notes to editors For media enquiries and interview requests UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.int For more information about the GEF announcement:  New GEF initiative will support UNCCD to strengthen drylands and drought resilience . Media resources COP17 programme  UNCCD COP17 website   Host country website    UN WebTV – Live broadcast of key plenary sessions with live interpretation in all six UN languages   Audiovisual material will be available for download here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94683648@N07/albums/ UNCCD COP17 Visual Assets and Branding Resources   Earth Negotiations Bulletin (daily coverage, photographs and analysis)   Follow @UNCCD on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Primary hashtag: #COP17Mongolia Additional hashtags: #UNCCDCOP17, #UNited4Land 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. 

Rangelands Rising, launched at UNCCD COP17, calls on investors and governments to recognize the world’s largest overlooked landscape and to back the 500 million pastoralists who sustain it Ulaanbaatar, 24 August 2026 — Rangelands cover more than half the planet's land surface, hold a third of its key biodiversity areas and generate benefits worth an estimated US$21–47 trillion a year (up to US$5,000 per hectare). Yet these landscapes remain almost invisible to the people who finance and govern the natural world. A new global report launched today at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) makes the economic case for investing in rangelands and recognizes the labor and stewardship of the 500 million pastoralists who manage them. Rangelands Rising: Investing in Sustainable Management and Restoration—published by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), GIZ, the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative, UNCCD and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—overturns a century-old assumption. Mobile livestock herding has long been blamed for driving land degradation. Research increasingly demonstrates that many rangelands have evolved with grazing and that well-managed pastoral systems have created and maintained some of the world's most biodiverse landscapes. Yet that stewardship is under growing strain, as drought intensifies and grazing land is lost to crop expansion, urban encroachment and fragmentation. “For too long, the world has looked at rangelands and seen empty, degraded land, and looked at pastoralists and seen a problem to be fixed,” said Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General, ILRI. “The evidence tells a different story. These are among the most valuable landscapes on Earth, and the people who manage them are their frontline investors.” Far from being the wasteland they are often taken for, rangelands are a mainstay of the food supply, producing high-value animal protein — meat, milk and more — from land that could not support crops without heavy and costly inputs. In Sub-Saharan Africa, pastoralism contributes an estimated 5–10 per cent of national GDP and accounts for 15–40 per cent of the value added in agriculture. But their full worth — in water, carbon, biodiversity and protection against drought — stays invisible to markets. The cost of that neglect is steep. Land degradation drains trillions of dollars a year in lost services, while restoring rangelands typically returns US$4–6 for every dollar invested, and, where public benefits such as water supply are counted, as much as 36 to one. The report's most striking economic finding is a mismatch between who does the work and who captures the value. In Jordan, reviving a traditional practice of resting grazing land returned just US$0.80 for every dollar the herders themselves spent. But the return to Jordanian society as a whole was 18 to one, driven mainly by groundwater recharge. It is a vivid illustration of the report's central argument. Pastoralists are already the primary investors in rangelands, putting in labour, knowledge, livestock and generations of stewardship, yet they cannot capture the value they create for everyone else. Public investment is needed to reward that stewardship and unlock the private capital that follows. “We are not asking for rangelands to be treated as a special case. We are asking for them to be counted. A landscape worth up to US$47 trillion a year cannot remain a blank space on the investment map,” Jonathan Davies, co-author of the report and independent rangelands researcher. For governments, the report also reframes a familiar budget line. Drought response is overwhelmingly reactive, with aid typically arriving well into a crisis, after families have already started to lose their animals. The bill can be enormous: drought relief reached an estimated 7 per cent of national GDP in Niger during the 2021 crisis. Yet, one evaluation cited in the report found that every US$1 spent on timely support is worth an estimated US$3 in later humanitarian spending. The report's central call to funders and finance ministries is to shift from paying for disasters to investing in resilient rangeland management before they strike. The report also guides where money should go, noting that the strongest returns come not from the most degraded land, but from restoring lightly to moderately degraded rangelands. Restoring the latter can cost as little as US$20 per hectare, against more than US$70,000 for severely degraded land. It also cautions against “green” fixes — planting trees on natural grassland, or ploughing drylands for crops — that often damage ecosystems adapted to open grazing. For most drylands, the smartest investment works with the pastoral systems already there rather than replacing them. But money alone is not the answer. The report is clear that financial investment on its own often fails without the conditions that let it work: secure land rights, strong community institutions and inclusive governance. Where tenure is contested or pastoralists are shut out of decisions, restoration funding may go to waste. Where rights are secure and communities lead, it endures. Getting the governance right, the report argues, is as important as the finance itself. “Rangelands are not marginal landscapes. They cover more than half of the world’s land and are fundamental to food security, biodiversity, water security and resilience to drought,” said Dr. Barron Joseph Orr, UNCCD Chief Scientist. “This report shows that investing in rangelands is not simply about restoring degraded land. It is about recognizing the value of these ecosystems and supporting the pastoralists whose knowledge and management have sustained them for generations. As governments gather at UNCCD COP17, the evidence provides a strong case for putting rangelands more firmly into land restoration, drought resilience and investment decisions.” The climate opportunity hiding in plain sight The report makes the case that rangelands’ neglect is the starkest when it comes to climate policy. The word “rangelands” appears in the national climate plans of just 24 countries under the Paris Agreement; “forests” appear in the plans of 181 countries. That blind spot overlooks two climate services rangelands already provide at scale: they are a vast carbon store and they are one of the world's most effective natural defences against drought. Rangelands offer mitigation, adaptation and resilience to climate change from a single investment across more than half the planet's land. Writing rangelands into national climate plans, and directing climate finance towards them, represents one of the largest and most cost-effective opportunities for governments and investors seeking greater climate returns. The report’s launch comes during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia, one of the world's great pastoral nations, where the future of rangelands and the communities who depend on them is a major focus of the conference agenda. The findings bring new economic evidence to COP17 discussions on land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable rangeland management. Notes to editors  Read the full report: https://www.ilri.org/rangelands-rising-investing-sustainable-management-and-restorationFunding: This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)Interviews with report authors and pastoralist representatives are available before and during the launchMedia contact: Anne-Marie Schryer-Roy, ILRI, a.schryer-roy@cgiar.org 

Fifty lawmakers from Mongolia and around the world are holding a five-day High-level Forum in the margins of UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia in a bid to turn global commitments into national action.Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 24 August 2026 – Parliamentarians from around the world are at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) global conference in Mongolia for a High-Level Parliamentary Forum focused on translating global commitments on desertification, land degradation and drought into concrete national action.The High - Level Parliamentary Forum, titled “From Commitment to Action: Parliamentary Leadership to Address Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought,”  is bringing together senior political and UN leaders to examine how parliaments can use legislation, public budgets, government oversight and representation to accelerate implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The Forum, taking place during the Convention’s 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (UNCCD-COP17) is co-organized by the G20 Global Land Initiative of the UNCCD, United Nations Staff Systems College (UNSSC) and the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia.  “Parliaments have the power to turn ambition into action. As we welcome parliamentarians from around the world to Mongolia, this Forum is an opportunity to strengthen the political leadership, legislation and investment needed to protect our lands and the communities that depend on them,” said S. Byambatsogt, Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia.The Forum is part of the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (G-CAP), an annual five-day leadership programme organised since 2023 by UNCCD-G20 GLI, in collaboration with UNSSC. This year’s G-CAP brings together 26 parliamentarians from 25 countries for dialogue and learning on land conservation, sustainable land management and restoration.“Global commitments only become real when they are translated into national laws, budgets and accountability,” said Yasmine Fouad, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNCCD. “Parliamentarians are therefore essential to the architecture of implementation, shaping the enabling policies, allocating resources, overseeing delivery and ensuring that the voices of affected communities are reflected in national action.”The high-level discussion will also feature: Carlos Alvarado Quesada, 48th President of Costa Rica; Prof. Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt; and parliamentarians from Mongolia and Türkiye. Representatives from the State Great Hural  of Mongolia include Ms. Mandkhai Mendbayar, Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment, Food and Agriculture, and Ms. Bolormaa Enkhbat, a G-CAP 2025 alumnus. Ms. Nilhan Ayan, the COP31 Presidency’s Environment and Climate Envoy, will represent Türkiye’s Parliament.Following the high-level conversation, parliamentarians will move into facilitated discussions to identify practical actions they can take within their national mandates, with a focus on legislation, budgeting, oversight and representation.The recommendations will be consolidated into the Key Messages and Parliamentary Priorities for Action from the COP17 High-Level Parliamentary Forum and will inform the development of a Parliamentarians’ Action Toolkit on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, providing practical guidance for lawmakers beyond COP17.The aim is to help turn political commitments into the national policies, budgets and oversight mechanisms needed for implementation at scale.With land degradation increasingly affecting food and water security, biodiversity, climate resilience, livelihoods and economic development, the Forum will highlight the critical role of parliamentarians in ensuring that commitments made at international negotiations result in action on the ground.As countries move from ambition to implementation, parliaments will be central to creating the enabling environment that allows finance, policy and partnerships to deliver measurable results.NOTES TO EDITORSFor more information, please contact Sandhya Balasubrahmanyam, Learning Portfolio Manager, UNSSC (s.bala@unssc.org)About G-CAP The Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (G-CAP) is an annual five-day leadership academy for selected parliamentarians from around the world, organised by the G20 Global Land Initiative, hosted at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in collaboration with the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC). G-CAP equips parliamentarians with the knowledge, networks and practical tools to advance land restoration and sustainable land management through legislation, policy, budgeting and oversight, while fostering dialogue and peer learning among lawmakers across regions. Since its inception in 2023, G-CAP has grown into a global network of 100 parliamentarians from 55 countries.About G20 Global Land Initiative Established by G20 leaders in 2020 and hosted by the UNCCD, the G20 Global Land Initiative was launched with the ambition of achieving a 50% reduction in degraded land across the planet by 2040. The initiative works globally to foster collaboration, strengthen policy coordination, advance the restoration economy, empower grassroots innovators, and secure a sustainable, climate-resilient future for global soil and ecosystems.About UNCCDThe 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 to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner.About UNSSC The United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) is a trusted interagency learning partner of the UN system. Drawing on our established relationships and credibility across various UN mandates and contexts, we collaborate with UN entities to design and deliver learning solutions that address specific needs and support shared objectives. In 2016 the UNSSC opened its “Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development” in Bonn. The Centre was created to equip the UN and its partners with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UNSSC Bonn Office delivers not only sustainable development learning but also change management and organizational development, as well as academic partnerships.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 21 August 2026 — About 30 mayors, governors and other local and regional leaders gathered this week at the UNCCD COP17 Mayors' Forum adopted the Ulaanbaatar Declaration, committing to advance local action on sustainable land management and drought resilience, and calling for a stronger, more permanent role for cities and regions in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) process.The Forum, held from 20 to 22 August 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, was hosted by the Governor's Office of the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar and co-organized by the UNCCD Secretariat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Local2030 Coalition and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), through the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), as key partner. It brought together over 200 participants from more than 30 countries, including local and regional leaders, international organizations, city networks, financial institutions, academic and research bodies, and private sector representatives.At the Forum, the Ulaanbaatar Initiative was also put forward. Led by the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar, this voluntary effort will test a practical way for cities to measure and report on land degradation, with results shared with the Convention by COP18.What the Ulaanbaatar Declaration commits toThe Ulaanbaatar Declaration builds on the commitments made by local and regional governments at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ulaanbaatar carries this process forward, moving from political recognition towards sustained engagement and implementation between COPs.The Declaration, titled Local Leadership for Land Resilience: Advancing Implementation across the Rio Conventions, sets out five calls to action addressed to local and regional governments, UNCCD Parties, the UNCCD Secretariat and their partners:Advance integrated local action on sustainable land management, drought resilience, biodiversity, climate resilience, water security and sustainable urban development, while strengthening urban-rural linkages. These interconnected challenges demand integrated, locally led solutions.Strengthen the role of local and regional governments within the UNCCD process itself, including through more structured and regular engagement between sessions of the Conference of the Parties, building on the Riyadh Process.Strengthen coherence across the three Rio Conventions and the water agenda, encouraging more coordinated implementation at the local level and thereby advancing the 2030 Agenda.Support implementation through partnerships and finance, including calls for more direct, simplified and predictable access to finance for local and regional governments.Promote knowledge, innovation and cooperation, including peer learning and the exchange of practical experience such as nature-based solutions.By transitioning from advocacy to implementation alliances, the Declaration directly turns global commitments into concrete, on-the-ground action to advance SDG 6 worldwide — marking a key milestone on the Local2030 Coalition’s "Road to Abu Dhabi: The Local Way"— a dedicated stakeholder engagement journey to shape global agendas ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference and the 2027 SDG Summit.Signatories commit to advancing local action on sustainable land management, land restoration and drought resilience, deepening cooperation between cities and regions, and promoting inclusive approaches that engage communities, youth, women and Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration also reaffirms the Riyadh Process as the continuing platform for structured dialogue between the UNCCD, its Parties and organized local and regional governments.QuotesB.Purevdagva, Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar: “Land resilience is not an abstract global agenda. It is about whether our cities can provide safe water, clean air, green spaces, secure livelihoods and a healthy future for our children and our communities. Through the Ulaanbaatar Declaration and the Ulaanbaatar Initiative, we are advancing a people-centered, gender-sensitive and child-friendly approach to sustainable urban development, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Ulaanbaatar is proud to help connect local and regional governments across dryland and extreme-climate regions, so that cities can share knowledge, measure land degradation more practically, and turn global commitments into action in our communities. This initiative is our contribution to a stronger regional and global network of cities working together for land, water, climate resilience and future generations.”Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD: “National commitments set the direction, but implementation ultimately happens in cities, regions and communities. Local and regional governments make many decisions that shape how land and water are managed, how communities prepare for drought, extreme heat and other climate-related risks. And how resilient infrastructure and services are delivered. The Ulaanbaatar Declaration is an important step in moving from recognition of their role to sustained engagement and practical action. Their experience, knowledge and proximity to communities are essential if we are to turn global commitments into measurable results on the ground.”Ursula Sautter, Deputy Mayor of Bonn, Germany: "This process started in Bonn in 1999, and it means a great deal to see it reach this point almost thirty years later, with mayors from every region adopting a shared declaration. Bonn will continue to stand behind this work, as a founding partner of this dialogue and as home to the UNCCD Secretariat.”Ji Rimutu, Deputy Mayor of Ordos, China: “Participating in this Mayors' Forum, I deeply feel that local governments are the key implementers in desertification control. Ordos's practice of "holding back the desert with green growth" demonstrates that firm governance commitment and continuous innovative measures can rejuvenate deserts. We look forward to deepening cooperation with all cities, sharing sand-control technologies, jointly shouldering ecological responsibilities, and striving hand in hand to enhance the green well-being of all humanity.”Ingrid Cavalcanti Feitosa, State Secretary for Environment, Sustainability and Climate Action of Sergipe, Brazil: "The impacts of desertification are felt most directly at the local level, which is why subnational governments play a strategic role in developing effective solutions. For Sergipe, supporting the Ulaanbaatar Declaration is an opportunity not only to push for actions on land and drought, but also to share our experience in strengthening protected areas, restoring degraded lands and advancing climate adaptation policies, particularly in the Caatinga — an exclusively Brazilian biome that faces significant challenges related to desertification, many of which are interconnected with those experienced by other territories. Knowledge exchange and international cooperation are essential to strengthening our capacity to respond to a challenge that transcends borders."Oumar Ba, Mayor of Ndiob, President of the Association of Mayors of Senegal, President of UCLG Africa: “Local and regional governments are essential partners in turning global commitments on land restoration and drought resilience into action in our territories. Through UCLG and the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, we are bringing our collective experience and priorities into the UNCCD process. Building on the progress achieved in Riyadh, the Ulaanbaatar Mayors’ Forum must further strengthen the recognition and meaningful participation of local and regional governments in global land governance.”Anacláudia Rossbach, UN-Habitat Executive Director: “Urbanization, land and water are deeply interconnected challenges that require locally led solutions. The New Urban Agenda recognizes the social and ecological functions of land, while the right to adequate housing is at the heart of sustainable development and linked to access to water, public space and basic services. Following the reviews of SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda, the Ulaanbaatar Declaration reinforces our commitment to move from global ambition to implementation. As co-chair of the Local2030 Coalition, UN-Habitat is committed to unlocking more direct and predictable finance for local governments. From Ulaanbaatar to Abu Dhabi, we must turn global commitments into tangible improvements, ensuring that no one and no place is left behind.”Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: "Cities are at the heart of sustainable development. They are platforms for advancing innovative solutions and translating ambition into tangible impact. This underscores the importance of empowering local action and strengthening cooperation among cities to address shared challenges. We aspire for the 11th World Water Forum, hosted in Riyadh in 2027, to serve as a global platform for strengthening the role of cities in exchanging experiences that contribute to shaping a more sustainable water future."Building on nearly three decades of city engagementThe Mayors' Forum builds on a process of municipal cooperation on desertification that dates back to the World Forum of Mayors on Cities and Desertification, held in Bonn, Germany, in 1999, and that has since continued through forums in Rome, Italy; Ordos, China; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2024 Riyadh Mayors' Forum affirmed the essential role of local and regional governments in addressing land degradation, desertification and drought, a role that this year's Forum sought to deepen further.This year represents a historic junction for global policy, converging the World Urban Forum (WUF13), the global review of SDG11, the midterm review of the New Urban Agenda, and the three Rio Conventions COPs—with the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi serving as the crucial capstone. Forum participants highlighted this as a rare opportunity to strengthen coherence across the global agendas on land, biodiversity, climate and water, and to ensure local and regional governments are recognized as central actors in delivering on all three. They also emphasized that localization is the ultimate engine for systems change, turning global policy into local impact, building on lessons from a series of major UN gatherings over the past two years: the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain; the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar; and the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Belém, Brazil.Over three days, the Forum combined high-level policy dialogue with technical exchange and peer-to-peer learning. Sessions addressed urban ecosystem restoration and sand and dust storms, water scarcity and drought resilience, sustainable urban growth and land use, and financing mechanisms to move commitments into implementation.Following the Forum, the UNCCD Secretariat and partners will work together to track voluntary progress on the Declaration's commitments, with findings to be presented at the next Mayors' Forum and at UNCCD COP18.About UlanbaatarUlaanbaatar is the capital city and economic, political and cultural centre of Mongolia, home to nearly half of the country’s population and serving as the main hub for government, business, education, innovation and international cooperation. Located in a high-altitude valley connected to wider rangeland, forest and river ecosystems, the city faces many challenges common to dryland and extreme-climate cities, including air pollution, water security, land degradation, rapid urban growth and climate-related risks. Guided by its long-term development vision, Ulaanbaatar is working to become a more people-centred, gender-sensitive, child-friendly, green and resilient city, while using the Ulaanbaatar Declaration and the Ulaanbaatar Initiative to strengthen global and regional cooperation and contribute practical solutions for sustainable land management, urban resilience and the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals.About UNCCDThe 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 ICLEIICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (known as ICLEI) is a global network working with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for zero-emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development. Our Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability.About UCLGUnited Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) is the world’s largest organization of local and regional governments and their associations, representing and advocating for their interests on the global stage. Headquartered in Barcelona and present across all world regions, UCLG brings together cities, metropolitan and regional governments, and national and subnational associations to promote democratic local self-government, strengthen cooperation among territories, and amplify the collective voice of local and regional governments in international decision-making. Through advocacy, policy dialogue, knowledge-sharing and decentralized cooperation, UCLG works to ensure that local and regional governments are recognized as essential partners in addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development that leaves no one and no place behind.About Local2030 CoalitionThe Local 2030 Coalition is the United Nations System platform to accelerate the localization of the 2030 Agenda, enhancing coherence, efficiency, and the impact of UN action. 14 UN entities drive the Coalition, co-chaired by UN-Habitat and UNECE, ensuring that the UN system is equipped to articulate global goals and national policies with local contexts, needs, and priorities, while securing a single and powerful UN approach to localization.About UN-HabitatUN-Habitat is the United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urbanization. It has programmes in over 90 countries supporting policymakers and communities to create socially and environmentally sustainable cities and towns. UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action. To know more, visit unhabitat.org or follow us on social media @UNHABITAT.Media contact:Matteo Bizzotto, Senior Officer, Global Communications, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. matteo.bizzotto@iclei.org

 As land degradation, drought and water scarcity increasingly threaten food security, livelihoods and stability, UNCCD COP17 will place healthy land at the centre of human wellbeing and prosperityDelegates representing 197 UNCCD Parties, international organizations, financial institutions, businesses and land stewards are expected to gather in Ulaanbaatar from 17-28 August Mobilizing public and private investment to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience will be one of the defining priorities of COP17Governments will also advance decisions on drought resilience, rangelands, sustainable agriculture and soils, and private sector engagementUlaanbaatar, Mongolia, 17 August 2026 – Delegates from 196 countries and the European Union gathered in Ulaanbaatar today for the opening of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  Over the next two weeks, governments, financial institutions, businesses, scientists and civil society will work to advance practical solutions, forge new partnerships and mobilize investment for land restoration and drought resilience, while Parties negotiate decisions on drought, rangelands, agricultural lands and soils, resource mobilization, private-sector engagement and the Convention's future strategic direction. The decisions, partnerships and initiatives launched at UNCCD COP17 are expected to strengthen international cooperation on sustainable land management, land restoration and drought resilience over the coming years, at a time when countries are facing increasing pressure from land degradation, water scarcity and climate change. Land degradation and drought are estimated to cost the global economy nearly USD 900 billion every year and already affect up to 40 per cent of the world's land and 3.2 billion people. Droughts have increased by almost one-third since 2000 and now generate at least USD 300 billion in annual losses. As the first of the three Rio Convention COPs taking place in 2026, ahead of the biodiversity and climate conferences, COP17 provides an opportunity to strengthen cooperation across the Rio Conventions and accelerate practical action on land degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, food and water security and water resilience. H.E. N. Uchral, Prime Minister of Mongolia, said: “The greatest change we want to see from COP17 is a shift from talk to action, from targets to implementation, and from commitments to measurable results. Mongolia therefore calls for tangible progress at this conference. First, let us address land, climate and biodiversity not as separate issues, but as interconnected challenges. Second, let us increase investment in land restoration and take cooperation between governments, international financial institutions and the private sector to a new level. Third, let us make drought resilience not only an environmental policy issue, but a core part of development policy. Fourth, let us place the knowledge and participation of rangeland users, herders and local communities at the centre of global land management policy. Fifth, let us turn science, technology and innovation into practical solutions and real investment. Sixth, let us work together to create the enabling conditions to turn commitments into measurable results.” UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said: “Land degradation and drought are no longer distant environmental concerns. They are already affecting the food we produce, the water we depend on, the resilience of our economies and the ability of communities to build secure futures. Healthy land is the foundation of healthy food systems, resilient economies and stable societies. COP17 must therefore be a COP of implementation. The world does not lack solutions; the challenge is taking them to scale. Ulaanbaatar must mobilize the political leadership, investment and partnerships needed to move from commitments to measurable results on the ground. Restoring land is not simply an environmental obligation—it is an investment in people, stability and resilience. At a time when multilateralism is being tested, COP17 is also an opportunity to show that countries can work together to deliver practical solutions that improve people's lives. Our measure of success will not simply be the decisions we adopt, but the change those decisions unlock for communities, economies and landscapes around the world and ability to mainstream land in new development sectors to prevent its future degradation.” H.E. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and UNCCD COP17 President, said: “For Mongolia, land is inseparable from our people, our livelihoods and our future. As a country where pastoralism remains central to our society and where land degradation, drought and dzud are already placing growing pressure on communities, we know that the health of our land has direct consequences for people’s lives. Hosting COP17 is both a responsibility and an opportunity to bring the experience of dryland countries and pastoral communities to the centre of global discussions. Mongolia will work with all Parties to make Ulaanbaatar a place where countries come together around practical solutions for healthier land, more resilient rangelands and a more secure future for the people who depend on them.” H.E.  Sandag-Ochir Tsend, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia and Chair of the National Committee for the Organization of UNCCD COP17, said: “Mongolia has completed its preparations to host UNCCD COP17 and stands ready to welcome delegates and guests from around the world. Desertification, land degradation and climate change are interconnected global challenges with far-reaching impacts not only on the environment, but also on food security, economic stability and livelihoods. COP17 will therefore provide a vital platform for strengthening international cooperation and advancing practical solutions. As the host country, Mongolia will promote constructive, consensus-based dialogue and work to ensure the inclusive participation of all Parties and stakeholders. The outcomes of COP17 must go beyond negotiated decisions and translate into concrete action, greater investment and stronger partnerships to halt and reverse land degradation, safeguard rangelands and soils, restore degraded land and combat desertification. Achieving this will require the active engagement of governments, the private sector, international organizations and financial institutions. I am confident that COP17 will mark an important step towards stronger international cooperation and accelerated global action to address desertification, land degradation and drought.” For host country Mongolia, these issues are part of everyday life. Nearly 77 per cent of the country's land is degraded, while pastoralism supports the livelihoods of one in three Mongolians. In 2023 and 2024, severe summer drought followed by devastating dzud winters resulted in the loss of more than seven million livestock, highlighting the growing vulnerability of dryland communities and the urgent need to strengthen resilience. Strengthening drought resilience Building on the progress made at COP16 in Riyadh, governments at COP17 will continue discussions on a global policy framework on drought while strengthening the practical tools, partnerships and financing mechanisms needed to help countries turn drought plans into action. Parties will discuss measures to strengthen preparedness, early warning systems, vulnerability assessments and international cooperation. More than 70 countries have now developed national drought plans, compared with only three in 2013, reflecting growing recognition that drought must be managed proactively rather than only once it becomes a humanitarian and economic crisis.  Every dollar invested in drought resilience can generate returns of up to USD 10, while some nature-based solutions deliver benefits of up to 27 times their cost. COP17 will also feature new tools and partnerships to help countries strengthen drought preparedness and resilience, including announcements related to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, the Drought Resilience Investment Facility and the International Drought Resilience Observatory as well as other related programmes and projects. Closing the multibillion finance gap Mobilizing greater public and private investment for land restoration and drought resilience will be one of the defining priorities of COP17. An estimated USD 355 billion is needed every year to combat land degradation and drought, yet current investment stands at only around USD 77 billion, leaving an annual financing gap of USD 278 billion. Despite depending heavily on healthy land and reliable water supplies, the private sector currently provides only around six per cent of global land restoration and drought resilience finance. Public resources alone are unlikely to close the gap, highlighting the need to strengthen collaboration between governments, development banks, businesses and investors. COP17 will explore how to unlock new sources of finance, strengthen incentives for sustainable land management, reduce investment risks and better align public and private investment with land restoration and drought resilience goals through discussions and examining new tools to leverage the existing pledges at the regional and national levels. The conference will illustrate progress on initiatives such as Business4Land, which aims to strengthen private sector engagement and partnerships for land restoration and drought resilience.  The Business for Land Forum on 24 August will bring together governments, businesses and investors to accelerate private-sector action and investment in regenerative landscapes. Participating organizations in the Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes have already committed more than USD 9 billion across over 210 million hectares, while new policy recommendations aimed at unlocking further investment will be presented at COP17. Rangelands take centre stage Held during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, COP17 will place one of the world's largest yet most overlooked ecosystems at the centre of international discussions. Rangelands cover 54 per cent of the Earth's land surface and support the livelihoods of around two billion people, including approximately 500 million pastoralists who have stewarded them for millennia. Rangelands produce one-sixth of the world's food and provide around 70 per cent of livestock feed. Far more than grazing lands, they are strategic ecosystems that underpin food security, biodiversity, climate resilience and livelihoods across the world's drylands. Yet up to half of the world's rangelands are already degraded or at risk, with 78 per cent located in drylands where increasing drought, climate change and unsustainable land use are placing growing pressure on ecosystems and communities.  Governments are expected to consider a new policy framework on rangelands and pastoralists and launch the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, a global partnership designed to increase long-term investment in sustainable rangeland management and strengthen pastoral livelihoods. The opening of COP17 also marks the conclusion of the UNCCD Silk Road Caravan, a multi-country journey across Eurasia that brought together governments, scientists, pastoralists, local communities and young people to exchange knowledge and showcase practical approaches to land restoration, sustainable rangeland management and drought resilience. Travelling along the historic Silk Road, the Caravan visited restoration projects and pastoral communities, highlighting practical solutions and the experiences of people restoring degraded land. Its arrival in Mongolia ahead of COP17 symbolically connects local action with the global negotiations beginning in Ulaanbaatar and marks one of the flagship initiatives of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.  From Riyadh to Ulaanbaatar COP17 builds on the outcomes of COP16 in Riyadh and the work undertaken since then to strengthen international cooperation on drought resilience, sustainable land management, financing and private-sector engagement. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency, said: “COP16 in Riyadh was a historical turning point in the global awareness and drive for action to address land degradation and drought. The world did not leave Riyadh with more promises—it left with more partners, more investment, and stronger momentum for action. We saw the Riyadh Action Agenda, which included 35 initiatives when it was launched at COP16 in Riyadh, has grown to include more than 100 initiatives currently. We witnessed stronger commitment to proactively face drought through the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, and a stronger participation of the private sector through the Business for Land Initiative. Through these partnerships, we have built a global coalition that is mobilizing governments, financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector to turn ambition into implementation. As we pass the Presidency to Mongolia, we will continue to work with COP17 Presidency and all other partners to maintain and amplify the global momentum that was achieved in COP16 to create a better future.” Beyond the drought and rangelands agenda, governments will also consider the Convention's future strategic framework, scientific guidance on agricultural lands and soils, greater participation by Indigenous Peoples, local communities, youth and civil society, stronger cooperation with the biodiversity and climate conventions, and ways to accelerate action under the Convention. From negotiations to action Alongside the formal negotiations, the COP17 Action Agenda will bring together governments, international partners, financial institutions, businesses, scientists, civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, local communities, women and youth to showcase practical solutions, launch new initiatives and forge partnerships that can help scale up action on the ground. Four thematic days during the conference's second week will connect negotiations with high-level dialogue and practical action: Finance Day (24 August): Mobilizing public and private investment for land restoration and drought resilience.  Water Day (25 August): Strengthening drought resilience and cooperation on the land-water nexus.  Land and People Day (26 August): Highlighting the role of pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth in restoring and sustainably managing land.  Food Systems and Soil Health Day (27 August): Advancing healthy soils and sustainable food systems to strengthen food security and resilient livelihoods.  The conference's high-level segment will feature ministerial dialogues and special events on drought resilience, sustainable rangelands, financing for land restoration, food systems and soil health, migration and security, sand and dust storms, and private-sector engagement. COP17 will also host the first formal convenings of the UNCCD Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the Local Communities Caucus, alongside the Business4Land Forum, Youth Forum and Gender Caucus, creating new opportunities for dialogue and partnership across governments and stakeholders. A Parliamentarians Forum and Mayors Forum will also convene on the sidelines of COP17. Several major scientific and policy publications will also be launched during the conference, including: 24 August: The Economics of Rangelands Restoration  25 August: The Drying Planet: Drought in Numbers 2026 26 August: Global Land Outlook for Small Island Developing States  26 August: Global Land Outlook Central Asia Thematic Report  27 August: Soil Health: The Business Case for Investing in Our Foundation  COP17 will conclude on 28 August, when Parties are expected to adopt decisions that will guide the Convention's work over the coming years and shape the next phase of global action on land restoration and drought resilience. Notes to Editors For media enquiries and interview requests UNCCD Press Office: press@unccd.int Opening press conference Date: 17 August 2026 Time: 13.15 to 14.00 Location: Press Conference room  Speakers: H.E. Sandag-Ochir Tsend, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia and Chair of the National Organizing Committee of COP17  Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationH.E. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and President Designate of UNCCD COP17Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 PresidencyMedia resources COP17 programme  UNCCD COP17 website   Host country website    UN WebTV – Live broadcast of key plenary sessions with live interpretation in all six UN languages   Audiovisual material will be available for download here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94683648@N07/albums/ UNCCD COP17 branded materials   Earth Negotiations Bulletin (daily coverage, photographs and analysis)   Follow @UNCCD on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Primary hashtag: #COP17Mongolia Additional hashtags: #UNCCDCOP17, #UNited4Land 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.   

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 7 August 2026 – The Silk Road Caravan, a global outreach campaign shining the spotlight on rangelands and pastoralists, today begins its journey across Mongolia, just days before the start of the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar on 17 August. For millennia, the Mongolian steppe has witnessed the movement of people, goods and ideas across Eurasia. The Orkhon Valley, one of Mongolia's most important historical landscapes, served as the political and cultural centre of successive nomadic empires, while generations of pastoralists developed a way of life that still defines Mongolia today. This August, that story continues. Ahead of UNCCD COP17, the UNCCD Silk Road Caravan arrives in Mongolia after travelling more than 6,000 kilometres, across Eurasia. Along the way, it has brought together pastoralists, scientists, policymakers, young people and local communities to share experiences and practical solutions for restoring rangelands and building resilience to increasing drought conditions.  Launched by the UNCCD in support of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 (IYRP 2026), the Silk Road Caravan follows the spirit of the historic routes that once linked Asia and Europe. Since departing Türkiye in May, participants have travelled through the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China, visiting restoration initiatives and meeting local communities along the way. The journey has highlighted how dedicated efforts and cooperation at all levels can help restore degraded land. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, said: Throughout the Silk Road Caravan journey, we have seen how countries and communities are managing and restoring rangelands that are inseparable from their identities, cultures, economies and ways of life. Every stop along the journey has reinforced one simple truth: people are at the heart of restoration. Those experiences remind us that there is no single path to restoration. As we gather in Mongolia for COP17, our responsibility is to turn these local experiences into global action, strengthening international cooperation and investing in the people who have been caring for these landscapes for generations." Ts. Sandag-Ochir, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia: Land degradation, desertification and climate change know no borders. They are shared challenges that demand shared solutions. The Silk Road Caravan arrives in Mongolia after connecting experiences, local solutions and the voices of people across countries along its journey. It is particularly meaningful that the Caravan’s journey concludes where UNCCD COP17 begins. Our goal is to carry the experiences and lessons gathered along the way forward in Ulaanbaatar — turning them into concrete commitments, stronger cooperation and practical solutions that can be put into action.Tsagaankhuu Iderbat Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia, said: Mongolia has a long tradition of pastoralism and a deep connection to its vast rangelands, which have shaped our nomadic culture for generations. Recognizing the global importance of rangelands and pastoralists, Mongolia was proud to initiate the proposal that led the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. The arrival of the Silk Road Caravan in Mongolia, followed by UNCCD COP17, provides a unique opportunity to bring global attention to rangelands, land degradation and climate change. It also reminds us that the knowledge and experience of pastoralists, developed over generations of living in harmony with nature, remain an essential part of the solutions we need today.  Rangelands cover 54 per cent of the Earth's land surface, support around two billion people, provide nearly 70 per cent of global livestock feed and store vast amounts of carbon. Yet up to half are already degraded, putting biodiversity, food production and rural livelihoods at risk. The experiences gathered along the Caravan will now be carried into COP17, where countries will consider the next steps for restoring and protecting rangelands.  In Mongolia, rangelands are the foundation of pastoral life. Covering around 70 per cent of the national territory, they support the livelihoods of approximately one third of the population and form one of the world's largest remaining pastoral landscapes. Yet these same landscapes are under increasing pressure. Nearly 77 per cent of Mongolia's land is affected by degradation. Droughts are becoming more frequent, while the annual number of sand and dust storm days has more than tripled since the 1960s. In 2023–2024, a devastating combination of summer drought followed by the harsh winter known as dzud resulted in the loss of more than seven million livestock. The disaster showed how exposed pastoral communities are to drought and climate extremes. Avirmed Gan-Ochir, an Animal Breeding Specialist at the Greengold Mongolian Rangeland Research Center and a participant in the Silk Road Caravan, said: " As someone who grew up on Mongolia's rangelands, it has been inspiring to travel through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and meet pastoralists whose lives are so different, yet so similar to my own. Every community has taught us something new, from how they adapt to a changing climate to how they preserve traditions that have been passed down through generations. I am proud that the Caravan is now arriving in Mongolia, and I look forward to welcoming everyone to our country, sharing our own experiences, and continuing this exchange of knowledge ahead of COP17. Aldarjavkhlan Jukov Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth of Mongolia, said: "For centuries, the Silk Road connected countries, peoples and civilizations. As the Silk Road Caravan reaches Mongolia, it offers an opportunity to share our nomadic culture, traditions and long-standing heritage of living in harmony with nature. Hosting the Caravan's final stage and welcoming the world to UNCCD COP17 creates a meaningful connection between Mongolia's cultural heritage and today's global challenges, including land degradation, desertification and ecosystem restoration. It is an opportunity to learn from the knowledge of the past while working together towards a more sustainable future." The challenges facing Mongolia are shared by many dryland countries. From 17 to 28 August, COP17 will bring together governments, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, civil society organizations, businesses and international organizations in Ulaanbaatar to discuss practical solutions for land restoration, drought and sustainable rangeland management. As the first of this year's three Rio conventions’ Conferences of the Parties (COP), it is expected to help shape the international agenda on land. Coinciding with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, UNCCD COP17 will also highlight the vital role of rangelands in supporting food security, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and rural livelihoods. Silk Road Caravan participants will spend a week travelling across Mongolia, from the Gobi Desert to the forests and grasslands of the country's centre. They will meet nomadic herder families, researchers, local authorities and pastoral cooperatives, and visit land restoration projects. The route includes Hustai National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape, the Ramsar-listed Ugii Lake and the Mini Naadam festival. Participants will see first-hand how people across Mongolia's rangelands are responding to land degradation and drought. They will also join activities marking the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists before reaching Ulaanbaatar in time for COP17. NOTE TO EDITORS Media opportunities During the Mongolian leg of the Silk Road Caravan, accredited media will have opportunities to: Visit land restoration sites across the Gobi Desert and central Mongolia.  Meet nomadic herder families and pastoral cooperatives.  Learn about community-based rangeland restoration and sustainable grazing practices.  Visit Hustai National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape and the Ramsar-listed Ugii Lake.  Interview international Caravan participants, Mongolian experts and UNCCD representatives.  Cover the conclusion of the Silk Road Caravan ahead of the opening of UNCCD COP17.  Media accreditation Accreditation for media representatives covering UNCCD COP17 is now open. Journalists are encouraged to apply through the United Nations Online Registration System (ORS), the official platform for media accreditation. Further information for media is available at the COP17 media page.   Follow COP17 Follow @UNCCD on X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Official hashtag #COP17Mongolia Additional hashtags: #UNCCDCOP17 | #RestoringLandRestoringHope | #UNited4Land | #HerLand | #Sport4Land | #Youth4Land Resources Media kit  UNCCD COP17 website  Host country website   UN WebTV – Live broadcast of key plenary sessions with live interpretation in all six UN languages  UNCCD COP17 Visual Assets and Branding Resources  Earth Negotiations Bulletin (daily coverage, photographs and analysis)  About the Silk Road Caravan For centuries, caravans travelling on the Silk Road carried not only goods, but also ideas, cultures and knowledge between civilizations. The Silk Road Caravan seeks to revive that spirit of connection, sharing stories of people working to restore land, protect ecosystems and sustain pastoral ways of life in regions where culture, land and climate are deeply intertwined. The Silk Road Caravan is a flagship UNCCD campaign linking COP16 in Riyadh (2024) to COP17 in Ulaanbaatar (2026), in support of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026. From the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula to the vast grasslands of Eurasia, this symbolic and physical caravan journey will shine a light on rangeland ecosystems and the pastoral communities that have shaped life along these routes for generations.   It aims to raise awareness of the critical role of rangelands, which cover more than half of the Earth’s land surface and support two billion people globally. Through a combination of field visits, storytelling, and a documentary film, the initiative highlights both the challenges of land degradation and the solutions emerging from local communities. More information about the Silk Road Caravan: silkroadcaravan.org 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.