Latest
Santa Cruz de la Sierra – 23 August 2017 – The conference on drought that took place in Bolivia from 14 to 16 August 2017 called for joint action against drought. Based on the deliberations among the delegates, the conference concluded with a declaration focusing on integrated drought management approaches to the development and implementation of national drought monitoring, early warning systems, vulnerability studies, impact assessments, mitigation and preparedness policies and plans. A high-level round table was conducted and a regional strategy document on drought preparedness systems was discussed by the experts during the technical segment of the conference. Policy makers, water management professionals, resource managers and experts from 20 countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region together with international experts from universities and UN agencies participated in the conference.
Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable has released a special issue of Liaison Energie Francophonie “Desertification and land systems: from recognition to action.” Contributions from the UNCCD secretariat cover the origins of the Convention, its role as the sole legally binding international agreement exclusively dealing with land resources, as well as the direction and challenges of the upcoming UNCCD COP13 in Ordos, China. As the recent UNCCD initiatives, such as 3S (Sustainability, Stability, Security) and LDN Target Setting Programme have shown, the path to combating desertification and accompanying social and economic issues is through innovation based on dedicated scientific research and concerted action in land restoration and sustainable land management. You can access the online edition here.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 14 August 2017 – Under the theme “Together against drought" (“Juntos contra la sequia”),” around 60 delegates from across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as well as leading international experts are coming together to identify the regional drought challenges and good practices. The principal objective of the Regional Conference on Drought that runs from 14 to 16 August, 2017, is to raise political momentum against drought and develop a comprehensive strategic framework for drought management that emphasizes a paradigm shift from "reactive" to "proactive" approaches. A high-level roundtable is scheduled for the 16 August, when ministers and heads of agencies will discuss specific drought challenges, remedial measures and policy options for the region. UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Pradeep Monga is addressing the participants on behalf of the UNCCD secretariat. The conference is organized by the Bolivian Ministry of Environment and Water, the UNCCD, the Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners. You can download programme concept and agenda in English and Spanish.
The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI) released the Scientific Conceptual Framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in English, Spanish and French. The conceptual framework provides a scientific basis for understanding, implementing and monitoring LDN. It has been designed to create a bridge between the vision and the practical implementation of LDN and has found immediate application in the LDN Target Setting Programme. Read more: The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface Land degradation neutrality The LDN target setting programme
UNDP has launched an outreach campaign to advocate collective awareness and appreciation for issues of land, nature and broader environmental themes. The initiative is designed to involve practitioners and citizens more directly in the issues of the upcoming UNCCD COP13 (link to the COP13 page). Everyone is invited to: Compose a short 3-4 line poem; and Submit any original photo or illustration to accompany your poem The poem should focus on a nature theme related to COP13 or a similar environmental topic, and capture a special positive mood, feeling, memory or inspiring observation. It can also describe a wildlife encounter, a special view, or a nature activity that made a lasting impression. Below are two examples of poems: Blue jay flairs its grace One swift visit at a time How it stays – a surprise Blue beauty in motion White-laced evergreens overlook fresh-made paw tracks heading out for dinner snow leopard at dusk We hope to highlight some poems during COP13 through social media, as well as in a book of poems on the environment. Be creative and have fun! Everyone is welcome to participate, including students, teachers, environmental experts, and representatives of the public and private sector. Poems can be submitted in any language by 25 August via email: tim.scott@undp.org, midori.paxton@undp.org and ruoqi.zhu@undp.org.
The winners of 2017 Land for Life Award received their recognition during the award ceremony that took place on 29 July 2017 at the 6th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. The ceremony was attended by about 300 participants – among them land management experts, representatives of the government, the private sector and the media from China and other countries. Mr. Wang Wenbiao, Secretary General of Kubuqi International Desert Forum together with Dr. Pradeep Monga, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCCD, presented the Award trophies to the winners: the Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) of India, UN Environment with partner Practical Action Sudan and Ms. Pan Yingzhen, director of National Bureau to Combat Desertification of the State Forestry Administration of China. The winners thanked UNCCD for the recognition of their efforts and expressed their commitment to continue their work in sustainable land management and share their experiences with others to combat desertification, restore land, advance green economy and ensure sustainability and stability of land-based communities. In his thank-you remark, Mr. Lobo from the Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) highlighted the role of community-led watershed development and landscape regeneration to secure water, livelihoods and the environment for the communities based in the rain-dependent drylands. “Scaling up and achieving sustained impact requires active collaboration of multiple stakeholders from across the governance, public, private and civil society sectors working on all levels, from the village upwards to the province, state, national and even international,” Mr. Lobo added. The representative of another winner, UN Environment and partner Practical Action Sudan, Mr. Awadalla Hamid Mohamed Osman, emphasized that the work on rehabilitation of Wadi el Ku catchment does not end after the ECO-DRR pilot project is completed – the community nursery, community forests and their management committee remain active. Larger Wadi El Ku catchment management project will start in October 2017, building on the experience from ECO-DRR Darfur pilot. The project received financial support from EU in the amount of ten million EUR to further rehabilitate the degraded land in Darfur, ensuring food security and creating jobs. As Mr. Mohamed Osman said: “When you give life to your land, the land will give you a really good life.” The statement from Ms. Pan outlined that desertification is a serious threat for China, where it affects 27 per cent of land area. However, with the strong commitment of the Chinese government to address the issue and with the support of people from all walks of life, the country is working hard to fight this global challenge and have already substantially reduced the spread of desertification. The Land for Life Award recipients also gave interviews to the media during the Forum. Their success stories will be also showcased during the upcoming UNCCD COP13 in Ordos, China. Read more stories about winners.