Land for Life Award 2017 winners announced

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s Land for Life Award is dedicated to recognizing individuals, groups, organizations and businesses for their outstanding work on conserving and protecting land resources to achieve sustainable developmental goals. The winners of 2017 Land for Life Award were announced at World Day to Combat Desertification Global Observance event on 15 June in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.  Approximately 400 participants attended the event hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change.  

This year, with the theme “Land and Human Security”, Watershed Organization Trust (India) and UN Environment and Practical Action Sudan (South Sudan) were awarded the 2017 Land for Life Award. The winners have demonstrated tangible evidence of transforming lives of communities who suffered from the impacts of degraded land.

At the same occasion, Ms. Yingzhen Pan, the Director General of National Bureau to Combat Desertification of State Forestry Administration was given the 2017 Land for Life China Award for the recognition of her achievement in combating desertification and restoring the Three North Regions Shelterbelts for over 30 years. Ms. Florencia Escudero Fonseca received a special mention for her inspiring leadership and dedicated support to communities to restore degraded land in Spain.

The Award giving ceremony will take place during the 6th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in Ordos, China, which is scheduled from 28-30 July 2017.

For mores stories and details about winners, see the announcement.