Statements

Statement of UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw on the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats The world’s 20 most powerful economies have launched an initiative to protect land. The Leaders’ Declaration issued Sunday, 22 November 2020, states that the G-20 leaders launched "the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation. Building on existing initiatives, we share the ambition to achieve a 50 percent reduction of degraded land by 2040, on a voluntary basis.” The G-20 initiative shows an unprecedented resolve by the world’s largest economies to conserve the terrestrial environment, and is expected to focus on capacity building, engaging the private sector and civil society and showcasing success.  Speaking at the event, Antonió Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, said the international community “is borrowing trillions of dollars from future generations for COVID-19 recovery.” Emphasising a “moral obligation” on the international community to ensure young people are not “burdened by a mountain of debt on a broken planet,” he said “the recovery must help to reconcile humankind and nature on all fronts. From climate to biodiversity, from protecting the oceans to stopping deforestation and land degradation.”  Indeed, we have one shot – this decade and no more – to save our lands. A  study of all the global initiatives to restore degrading land released earlier this month shows that close to one billion of the two billion hectares of land that is degraded can be restored. This initiative by G-20 leaders is a signal that the time to invest in protecting and restoring the land is now.   Read more: G20 Riyadh Summit Leaders Declaration

By UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw The German Advisory Council on Global Change’s recent report, Rethinking Land in the Anthropocene: from Separation to Integration, makes it abundantly clear that we need a fundamental change in how we manage the land to limit climate change, reverse biodiversity loss and create sustainable food systems. The five strategies illustrated in this report – ecosystem restoration, expanding and upgrading protected areas, diversifying farming systems, transforming diets and shaping the bioeconomy responsibly – are very much in line with the UNCCD’s efforts to better manage the land. Transforming lives and livelihoods Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), in particular, is a key goal. LDN is an international commitment (SDG Target 15.3) under which countries work together to stop, prevent and reverse the loss of productive land. The total restoration commitments in place are close to one billion hectares, almost half of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The upcoming UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration gives us further opportunities to push hard on this agenda.  We already see action in Africa, through the Great Green Wall Initiative. By restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land, the initiative is boosting food security and livelihoods. To date, 350,000 jobs and around USD 90 million in revenues have been generated. Such efforts bring back biodiversity, reduce the effects of climate change and make communities more resilient. All told, the benefits outweigh the costs ten-fold.  Producing and consuming sustainably I also welcome the recognition of the need to reform diets, which was the focus of Drought and Desertification Day 2020. In our globalized world, the food we eat impacts land thousands of miles away. Each of us holds the power to protect the land by making different choices in our daily lives. The food we lose or waste each year uses almost 30 per cent of the world’s agricultural land area, while the land used to graze and produce grain to feed animals makes up 80 per cent of agricultural land. We must all look at shifting to a more balanced diet. Advancing a people-focused approach  The Council’s recommendation to support change agents who pioneer new practices for managing and using land sustainably is also critical. A people-focused approach to land restoration is at the core of the UNCCD’s mandate to fight land degradation and desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Progress in land tenure to provide secure equitable land rights is a necessary condition for better land stewardship, achieving gender equality and bringing innovation into the land use sector.  We at the UNCCD know that our survival and future prosperity depends on the land. Healthy land is finite, but changes in consumer and corporate behaviors, combined with better land use planning and management, can help meet the demand for essential goods and services without compromising land resources. These changes can greater cleaner, greener, healthier, safer and more resilient societies as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This report summary presents a clear path toward climate change mitigation, ecosystem protection and food systems sustainability through better land management. I thank the WBGU for galvanizing support and action toward a new social contract for nature.   

Madame la Première ministre du Togo,   Chers panélistes,   Chers participants,    La question de savoir comment créer de la richesse pour les jeunes à partir de la terre peut paraître surprenante.     Prenons le cas de l’alimentation. La terre nourrit 7 milliards d’êtres humains. Aussi, si vous n’avez consommé aucun produit animal ou végétal provenant de la terre au cours des dernières 24 heures, c’est probablement parce que vous n’avez rien trouvé à manger...     Point besoin de réfléchir longtemps avant de pouvoir conclure que tant que nous mangeons, nous produirons des emplois et des activités économiques génératrices de revenus basés sur l’agriculture. Un business model qui continue de faire ses preuves. Nos vêtements proviennent de la terre. Nos poissons d’eau douce, notre viande et nos produits laitiers aussi.     Le secteur primaire est la première source de revenus au monde. Pour la grande majorité, c’est la seule source de revenus.     Nul besoin non plus de faire des calculs savants pour comprendre que la croissance démographique entraine plus de bouches à nourrir. Nous serons près de 10 milliards d’ici 2050. Les régions du monde qui seront des vecteurs de cette croissance sont l’Asie et l’Afrique.     Pour mieux comprendre les enjeux, ajoutons que cette croissance s’accompagnera également d’un élargissement d’une classe moyenne au pouvoir d’achat en augmentation.      Par ailleurs, le changement des modes de consommations entrainera une demande exponentielle en produits alimentaires, vestimentaires, en énergie, et en eau. C’est dire que ce business continuera à être florissant.      La vraie question est donc la suivante : s’il y a autant de business offerts par la nature, comment assurer une distribution des revenus qui bénéficie au maximum de personnes ?     Notamment les petits producteurs.     Selon le Forum économique mondial, investir dans une économie favorable à la protection de la nature peut générer USD 10 trillions par an et 395 millions d’emplois d’ici 2030.     A propos des emplois, précisons qu’il s’agit ici moins d’employer des salariés que d’opportunités d’entreprenariat. Notamment pour les jeunes.     La terre nourrit les peuples. C’est un bon business.     Ces opportunités existent aussi bien dans les pays développés que dans ceux à revenus modestes, y compris en Afrique. Le Togo va partager son expérience par la voix de la Première ministre. D’autres exemples seront également partagés par les autres membres du panel.     J’aimerais pour ma part présenter quelques exemples d’à travers le monde, avant de conclure avec quelques pistes de réflexions :     Au Pakistan : « Le Tsunami d’un milliard d’arbres » est un programme officiel du Premier ministre Imran Khan: Le Pakistan indique que non seulement 600 000 hectares de terres dégradées ont pu être restaurés, mais qu’un demi-million d’emplois ont en outre été créés.   Au Sierra Leone : 10 000 emplois créés pour les jeunes en milieu rural, en plantant 1,2 millions d’arbres.   En Namibie : 2 frères, plutôt jeunes, ont créé en 1986 un petit business, sous forme de ranch animalier. Cette activité a généré d’excellentes activités touristiques en 2008. La réserve naturelle de 70 hectares a été mise en vente l’année dernière. Sa valeur a été évaluée à USD 108 million.     Les exemples sont nombreux : en Asie, en Amérique Latine, en Europe, etc. Preuve s’il en est que la conservation de la nature est une activité rentable.     D’ailleurs, des économistes du World Resources Institute ont estimé que chaque dollar investi dans la terre, génère entre 7 et 13 dollars.     Avec de tels taux, pourquoi donc les investisseurs n’ont pas sauté en masse sur ces opportunités ?     Quels sont les goulots d’étranglement et comment transformer ces défis en opportunités ?    Premièrement, il s’agira de repenser nos stratégies de développement. Deux paramètres en particulier méritent d’être réexaminés. D’une part, les politiques foncières et les facilités fiscales et financières. D’autre part, les incubateurs pour les start-ups. L’Afrique, en particulier, ne manque pas de jeunes, dynamiques, prêts à prendre des risques et à s’approprier les nouvelles technologies si on leur en donne les moyens.    Deuxièmement, il s’agira d’encourager les investissements du secteur privé sur la base de partenariats gagnant-gagnant. Les terres en friches et les zones humides sont généralement enregistrées comme des terres domaniales. Or l’Etat n’est pas toujours en mesure d’assurer une bonne gestion de ces ressources, qui au fil du temps, se dégradent. Des forêts classées et autres réserves naturelles ne portent plus que leurs noms d’antan. En favorisant des approches de type partenariat public-privé qui ont déjà fait leurs preuves, nombre de zones touristiques, de forêts, d’espaces péri-urbains pourraient être mises être mise en valeur et générer des revenus.  Combien d’emplois seraient ainsi créés, tout en sauvegardant les milieux naturels et en créant de la richesse ?     Troisièmement, à l’heure de la quatrième révolution industrielle, il s’agira de favoriser l’usage des nouvelles technologies. Le carburant nécessaire à leur décollage économique proviendra d’abord et avant tout du secteur primaire. Il faudra pour cela mettre l’accent sur les investissements d’appuis aux petits producteurs. D’ailleurs, plusieurs pays développés se sont appuyés sur leurs petites et moyennes entreprises pour entamer leur décollage économique. L’industrialisation s’en est suivie.    Les opportunités de créer des partenariats publics-privés sont nombreuses. Elles appellent parfois à une réévaluation des systèmes de gouvernance, y compris une meilleure transparence dans la gestion des biens publics et un système judiciaire indépendant. Condition sine qua non pour attirer les investissements et créer un environnement propice à l’emploi et à une croissance économique inclusive.      Avec l’Accord de Paris sur le climat, plusieurs investisseurs veulent se retirer du secteur des industries polluantes, décriées par tout le monde. L’investissement dans la restauration des terres serait non seulement du business, mais du business propre, utile et intelligent. Il créerait des emplois verts et contribuerait également à résoudre à la fois les problèmes liés aux changements climatiques mais aussi à la perte de biodiversité. C’est aussi l’une des solutions les plus appropriées pour reconstruire les économies si durement bouleversées par la pandémie de la COVID-19.     Les engagements pris par les Etats dans le cadre de UNCCD représentent 450 millions d’hectares à restaurer. Le plus remarquable de tous ces engagements est celui des onze pays de la Grande muraille verte du Sahel visant à restaurer 100 millions d’hectares, créant au passage 10 millions d’emplois d’ici 2030.     Loin d’être uniquement un programme de reboisement, la Grande muraille verte vise à créer une autre économie rurale, à réduire les risques de déficit alimentaire, et à fournir l’énergie solaire aux producteurs. Restaurer les terres, c’est aussi reconstruire l’économie rurale !   La Grande muraille verte contribue aussi indirectement à réduire les pertes de nourriture en conservant les aliments (grâce à l’énergie) et en transformant la production sur place, au lieu de continuer à exporter des produits bruts. D’autres opportunités de création d’emplois.     Au-delà des activités régénératrices du milieu naturel, la Grande muraille verte c’est aussi de vastes chantiers d’installation de centrales d’énergie solaire. C’est la construction d’installations frigorifiques. C’est l’éclairage des centres médicaux et la création de chaînes de froid pour les aliments et les produits médicaux, tels les vaccins.  Le business model qu’offre la Grande muraille verte s’applique bien entendu à d’autres pays, à travers le monde.     La question de savoir comment créer de la richesse pour les jeunes à partir de la terre est à notre portée. Il s’agit de « transformer les défis en opportunités ». Et pour qui ne manque point de terres, d’eau, de soleil, de ressources humaines (jeunes et dynamiques) et de volonté politique, on peut transformer la terre en or !     La lutte contre la pauvreté restera une chimère politique, aussi longtemps que les plus pauvres n’auront pu valoriser ce qu’ils ont de plus cher : la terre.  Je vous remercie.  

By UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw for devex.com This year, the world marked the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in the midst of global calamity and uncertainty of an unprecedented scale. Yet we were also reminded that throughout history, great crises give rise to extraordinary opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic is the crisis of our time. It has extinguished over 1 million lives in nine months and triggered the deepest economic recession since World War II. Yet this tragedy offers a pathway to a new, more promising future. If we commit to building back better and more sustainably. Read more...  Image: (c) MaveWaves

By UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw for Thompson Reuters Foundation News COVID 19 has devastated communities in many regions of the world, including Africa. Leaders face two stark choices for the future: reverting to the unbridled self-interest that drove states, or breaking boldly with the past for ambitious plans to build back better, by creating prosperous and sustainable societies benefitting all. The possibility for change is beyond anything we ever imagined, and we have the knowledge to guide us. What’s needed is decisive action. Can young people in Africa and Europe expect that new start after the joint summit of the African and European Unions in 2021? Read more...  Photo: (c) MakeWaves

Plants, animals and humans – all forms of life on Earth depend on healthy soil. Soil is the basis of all terrestrial ecosystems, supporting our food and water security while playing an important part in reducing the impacts of climate change, yet its status and its biodiversity are often overlooked.

In many parts of the world, autumn is the time to gather the harvest and count our blessings. This year’s trials and tribulations have taught us that while we can count on blessings bestowed by other humans to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, we are wholly dependent on blessings bestowed by nature to survive and flourish.

The soil on which we live, from which we feed ourselves and where we base our entire existence is one of humanity’s most precious assets that we cannot afford to lose. To satisfy our needs, we ought to recognize the interconnectidness of land with other natural resources. We should also recognize the rights and the obligations of the communities living in this land, such as the indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples have two unique characteristics, and that make them key agents in soil conservation. First, their economic dependence on natural resources and ecosystems. Second, their exceptional tradition and their ancestral knowledge, which are real assets for the sustainable management of our Natural Resources.  Therefore, indigenous peoples present unique characteristics in terms of sociopolitical, economic, and environmental conditions. Indigenous peoples are approximately half a billion people in the world (most likely underestimated). From the economic point of view, they are accounted among the poorest in the world.  However the reality is that they are among the richest, when you account their natural capital. Representing only 5 per cent of the world's population, they protect 22 per cent of the earth's surface area and 80 per cent of the planet's biodiversity. Clearly, something is wrong in our business model. You manage the land, you protect earth for the benefit of all, but you are marginal. You don’t get access to health, education and social protection. Decisions are made on your behalf, including when it comes to exploit the natural resources you have managed for millennia. Is that good governance?   In the American continent indigenous peoples are established ranging from Patagonia to northern Canada, passing through different geographical areas such as Amazonia, the Andes, the Caribbean islands, and Mesoamerica.   I am sure you know all of that. The few times IPs are being talked about, people think first and foremost about the Amazon Forests. Thankfully, there has been a substantive amount of work on IPs in forests.  There is less, much less knowledge about the Bejas in Namibia, the Sans in the Kalahari Desert, the Berbers of North Africa, the Fulanis of West and Central Africa, or even the Aborigines of Australia. How much do we know about the economy of the Bedouins of the Arabic Deserts? Do we know much about the Indigenous knowledge of the  Kurds, the Balushs and the Minorities of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia in China? Or the Masais of Eastern Africa? IPs in arid lands are even more vulnerable than their peers in forest areas. Shortage of water and food, especially when there is not enough rains, or sometimes when there is too much rains, as floods can also be as damaging.  Droughts are more recurrent in Arid Lands. With climate change, we see more frequent, and more severe droughts. IP in arid lands are generally pastoralists. Their life and their economy are closely associated with those of their domestic animals: camels, cows, and some times small ruminants. Unfortunately, the rate of loss of animals due to drought is very high. Food production becomes erratic. IPs economy in Arid Lands is therefore extremely vulnerable.  Similarly, dry areas are naturally subject to frequent wildfires. What we saw last year in Australia was exceptional in intensity and size, but not in occurrence. Scientists predict more frequent and more severe cases in the future. Uncontrolled fires destroy pastures and again, affect IPs local economies and wealth.  The legacy of inequality and exclusion has therefore made IPs more vulnerable to natural hazards.  Then came COVID-19 and its consequences. One of the unexpected consequences of the lockdowns is the impact of border closures on IPs in arid lands. Animal herders practice transhumance; pastoral lands know no political border. Lockdowns are not easy to apply to human beings. They are even less practical for animals. Yet, political borders were closed when it was most critical for animals to migrate to greener pastures. This was a serious challenge which caused unexpected consequences on already vulnerable and marginalized communities. Transhumance corridors were not sufficiently  anticipated to allow this vital migration to happen.  Furthermore, the situation of poverty is repeated, among indigenous communities in most regions of the world, were they are being deprived of the biological resources that have been providing them with essential services of the environment to live, to feed, to be inspired and to heal. These socio-economic and environmental impairment factors have transformed land protection into a relevant issue, as it is indigenous peoples who live on these lands that are the first ones to call for action. As they are at the front line in protecting this increasingly vital resource, they have an active role in the conservation and recovery of degraded land, thus avoiding the processes that lead to desertification. Therefore, the ancestral knowledge of indigenous peoples and how they have adapted over the centuries, applying agroecological and regenerative practices, are essential to keep the land healthy and ensure the food productivity. Just as nature offers a varied ecology, indigenous peoples developed various cultures and systems adapted to those means while caring for and preserving them.   To survive in usually adverse conditions, indigenous peoples adapted their way of life, occupations and ancestral knowledge to manage and protect their environment, and their main resource: the land. As an example, several cases can be cited worldwide. The communities of the Andes, developed agricultural terraces. In North America, the Hohokam communities turned arid soils into green production using traditional irrigation techniques. In Iran, the Qashqai communities employ sophisticated early warning and exploration systems to predict droughts. In South Africa, the Bantu tribes prohibit logging and agricultural practices on sloping lands to reduce the risk of soil erosion. Thanks their traditional knowledge, IPs have an exceptional role to play in land management, ranging from prevention to restoration.  But this is not enough! IPs should be more valued and considered as powerful agents of change. They must be empowered and granted access to creative options and opportunities, including financing. They can, they must implement and evaluate sustainable policies and measures aimed at combating land degradation. On the other hand, while cherishing and keeping their knowledge and traditions, IPs should move forward and cease some of the new opportunities and the new realities the world presents. They can not leave in the past. They risk being left behind.  Finally, Governments from all over the world should have the humility to learn from, and value, the traditional knowledge of their IPs. For science to be truly universal, it ought to value Indigenous Knowledge as a complement to scientific peer reviews. The best informed policy decisions are those that combine modern science with traditional knowledge. Only then will we be able to say that no one is left behind.   By empowering our indigenous peoples and unleashing their energy and their knowledge, we will expand our scope of solutions to environmental problems, and better address the threats posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification. Thank you.

Opening remarks by UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw    On the occasion of the Virtual meeting of the COP 14 Bureau Wednesday, 30 September 2020 Dear Mr. President, Dear Bureau members, It is a pleasure for me to welcome you once again for a virtual meeting of our Bureau. Few months have elapsed since our last meeting held last 26th of June and, in consultation with the presidency, a new meeting was deemed important to take stock of recent developments, report on key issues and seek your joint wisdom and views on proposed steps forward. In that respect, one of the core questions before us refers to the interim report of the IWG on drought. I know that I am preaching converted when I underline that drought is a slowly creeping phenomenon and thus difficult to detect until impacts emerge.  However, flash droughts are also becoming more common marked by sudden onset and rapid intensification of droughts with severe impacts. They present a new challenge for enhancing drought resilience.  With climate change, rainfall will become more erratic, with longer and deeper periods of droughts. Drought is no longer limited to dry lands. It is affecting every climate region.   Food shortages & price increases may triple by 2040 because of extreme and erratic weather, mainly drought. But this is not a problem for the future. It is a problem for the here and now. Current methods for managing drought are not up to the challenge. Most drought-prone countries are only responding to drought when it has taken its tall. This must change and the UNCCD is focusing on a drought management approach that prioritizes “prevention” over “recovery”. The last three COPs (twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth ) called for increased emphasis on mitigating drought impacts for long term drought resilience.  Parties also want to improve partnerships to promote capacity development at the national level. Thanks to the support of the COP Bureau, a highly efficient and well-balanced group of 30 IWG members was established. The IWG’s call for submissions on existing drought policy, coordination & partnerships was met with overwhelming response, as more than seventy countries, regional & international organizations responded to the survey, which laid a unique basis for the work of the group. Given the rescheduling of CRIC19 to next year, your guidance, as process management body, to the IWG would be very important to further fine tune their work. I am also glad that, the IWG Chair, Dr. Gunilla Björklund and the co-chair, Dr. Gaius Eudoxie, are with us on this call to provide to directly interact with the COP Bureau. I would also like to take this opportunity to brief you on the status of organization of the CRIC and seek your views on possible options for a viable and reliable way forward. In that respect a short information note was issued under agenda item 3 before you that recapitulates the status of the process, as it stands today. In accordance with the conclusions reached at our last bureau meeting, the secretariat has been thoroughly planning for a face-to-face meeting in Bonn. Accordingly, the identification of the venue and the ensuing logistical requirements have been secured. A contract will also be signed with the service provider at the World Conference Center Bonn, including a cancelation clause.  However, as many variables remain fluid in terms of the pandemic evolution, including numerous and regular adjustment to public health policies around the world, the secretariat Is also planning for viable options in terms of virtual meeting scenarios. Should evolving travel restrictions not allow Parties to attend in-person the conference, the possibility of organizing, on an exceptional basis, an online CRIC19 is therefore currently explored by the UNCCD secretariat in consultation with UNOG as service provider. Accordingly, the information note under agenda item III before you addresses some of the critical issues at stake, when envisaging the organization of a virtual CRIC19 meeting and we, as secretariat, are looking forward to your feedback and/or further proposals in that respect. Thank you, Mr. President.

High-level open debate of the Security Council on the theme “Maintenance of international peace and security: humanitarian effects of environmental degradation and peace and security” took place on 17 September 2020. PRESS RELEASE COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE View the recorded event on UN Web TV Below is the statement by Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. *** *** *** Allow me to thank the Council Presidency of Niger for extending an invitation to me as the Security Council discusses a very critical topic, namely: "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: The Humanitarian impact of environmental degradation and peace and security". Today’s threats to international peace and security have shifted from conflicts between states to violence due to non-state actors. An assessment of the root causes of these conflicts shows that a large proportion have a link to the environment. Such link is either due to abundance of natural resources (oil, minerals, wildlife…), or to scarcity (land, water, vegetation…). In arid lands, such as in the Africa’s Sahel region, violence often erupts over competition for access to depleted land and scarce water resources. The combination of three factors exacerbate the situation:  A heavy reliance on natural resources for the satisfaction of basic needs. Farmers, pastoralists or fishermen/women. City dwellers may have additional income, but they too are largely dependent on income generated in rural areas  With land degradation, drought and climate change, resources are shrinking  A steady population increase put more pressure on natural resources Satisfying a growing demand of a population that relies essentially on resources that are being depleted at alarming rate makes the situation unpredictable in the long run.  Compounded with weak governance, weak institutions, and limited capacities to respond to emergencies.  Despite heroic efforts of the humanitarian community, lives are being saved but not being changed. Year after year, the vicious cycle spirals. We must dig more deeply in order to address the root causes.  Conflicts over access to natural resources are not new. But the intensity and the frequency are unprecedented. Farmers and pastoralists fight for the control of scarcer fertile land and water. As the users of natural resources are from different tribes or religious groups, and in the absence of a strong judiciary system, there are cases of excessive violence, leading to cycles of dangerous retaliations.  Droughts hit more frequently, more severely. Drought has always been a serious threat to lives and livelihoods. It is a phenomenon that is already affecting every climatic region - with around 70 countries are now regularly affected.  In the last three years alone, more than 25 countries declared a national emergency due to drought.  Drought means water shortages, power outages, degraded health and stalled economic momentum. Droughts wipe out enough produce (annually) to feed 81 million people every day for the entire year. That is the equivalent of the population of Germany.  Episodes of drought can double the risk of rioting in vulnerable communities. Food prices spike, civil unrest erupts, mostly triggered by vulnerable people living in suburbs of large cities. Years of drought generally correspond to years of economic downturn for many countries whose economies essentially depend on the primary sector.   I believe that there are four dimensions to consider when we address environment and security linkages:  First, ecosystem goods and services fundamentally underpin human well-being and human security.  Second, conflict, irrespective of its source, affects the viability or sustainability of investments in environmental protection and their outcomes.  Third, ecosystem degradation, resource competition, or inequitable distribution of benefits increase vulnerability and conflict risk.  Fourth, environmental cooperation can increase capacity for conflict management, prevention, and recovery. The scope of security and insecurity is by no means limited to violent conflict or its absence but includes the roots of sustainable livelihoods, health, and well-being. Different types of violence are associated with the increased rural-urban migration due to drought and desertification. For example, grievances against government might rise when agricultural outcomes are depressed by drought and its induced out-migration.  In other cases, the unfulfilled economic hopes of poor migrants combined with youth street gangs, lead youth in spirals of violence. Desperate and without much perspectives, young people may be easy prays to terrorist groups or to traffickers of all sorts.  Frustrations and dissatisfaction due to inequitable sharing of state income (especially generated from extractives) lead to serious grievances, sometimes rebellions.  The vast majority, of the world’s population relies on ecosystem services rooted in soils. In view of this, the health of land - due to its direct and indirect influences on the economy, degree of empowerment and on human rights - catalyzes the impact of environmental degradation on peace, security and stability. Our capacities to assess and address the security risks driven by environmental degradation and climate change are not keeping pace with the speed with which the ‘risk landscape’ is changing. So, how do we prevent environmental degradation and foster peace and security? We need to understand how difficult it is to mobilize societies against a threat whose costly consequences may not be felt until it is too late to prevent them.  Environmental security underpins the rationale for investment in global environmental benefits and is essential to maintain the earth's life-supporting ecosystems generating water, food, and clean air. Reducing environmental security risks also depends fundamentally on improving resource governance and social resilience to natural resource shocks and stresses. Indeed, the positive angle of the central and fundamental link between humanity and land is that the pendulum may swing in both directions. Protecting lands could thus trigger a broad peace, stability and ecosystem recovery cycle; a constructive feedback loop extending far beyond an initial choice to protect the environment. At the UN Convention to Combat Dersertification, most of our flagship programs tackle environment degradation as a means to promote peace and security.  For example, the Initiative on Sustainability, Stability and Security, which aims at addressing the security challenges linked to land degradation and desertification. It aims at supporting African countries to create decent green jobs in land rehabilitation. Another important Initiative with a similar goal is the Great Green Wall. I am sure Inna Modja will speak more about the vision of the Initiative.  These are just examples of actions, but the risks that climate and environmental change presents to international peace and security need to be addressed across the entire impact chain – by mitigating climate change, attenuating its consequences on ecosystems, adapting its socio-economic systems, better managing the heightened resource competition it will bring about, and strengthening conflict management institutions. To prevent conflicts while protecting our planet, we ought to tackle environment degradation. Our environment is our health, our wealth and our well-being. If we, in a coordinated way, avoid, reduce, and reverse land degradation we can better preempt, prevent and manage many conflicts in the World.  Thank you.