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Bonn, Germany, 18 February 18, 2025 – A landmark collaboration is taking shape in the global fight against land degradation. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate efforts in sustainable land and water management, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in support of the sustainable development agenda. A partnership for sustainable growth Land degradation, desertification and drought pose critical challenges worldwide, affecting ecosystems, economies and communities. Recognizing the urgency of these issues, UNCCD and GGGI are joining forces to create innovative solutions that integrate environmental sustainability with economic growth.  This collaboration is firmly rooted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the objectives of the Rio Conventions, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainable land management. Under the MoU, UNCCD and GGGI will leverage their expertise to: Develop and implement joint programs focused on sustainable land and water management, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Enhance resource mobilization efforts to secure funding and technical support for land restoration initiatives. Engage the private sector to drive investment and technical innovation in sustainable land management projects. Promote knowledge-sharing and capacity-building through training programs, policy dialogues and best practice exchanges. Design green investment strategies to support countries in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and drought resilience targets. A shared vision for impactful action By working together, UNCCD and GGGI aim to unlock new opportunities for land restoration and ecosystem conservation. Their collaboration will also extend to joint advisory services, feasibility studies and publications that inform and inspire action on the ground. “I am pleased to announce this strategic partnership between UNCCD and GGGI, which marks a significant step in our collective efforts to combat land degradation, enhance biodiversity conservation and build resilience against climate change," stated Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary. "This MoU is a testament to our shared commitment to a future where land is valued, protected and restored for the benefit of people and the planet.” GGGI Director-General Sang-Hyup Kim echoed this sentiment: 'The collaboration with UNCCD reflects GGGI’s strong commitment to land restoration and biodiversity conservation. This partnership will not only shed light on the financial and policy elements. GGGI looks forward to a powerful collaboration with UNCCD to tackle climate challenges related to land degradation, water management and drought.'" Looking ahead: Turning ambition into action As the world faces escalating environmental challenges, the partnership between UNCCD and GGGI represents a critical step forward. With a shared mission to create sustainable, climate-resilient landscapes, their collaboration will support countries in transforming policies into tangible action, ensuring that economic development is both environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. Media contact: press@unccd.int  About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities and countries create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food, clean water and energy by ensuring land users an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 parties set up robust systems to manage drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss.  About GGGI  The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) was established in 2012 as a treaty-based intergovernmental organization at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. It supports its 49 Member States and 29 Partner countries in transitioning to a green growth model that integrates poverty reduction, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and economic growth. Operating in over 51 countries, GGGI helps nations meet their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement commitments. Currently, GGGI is implementing 10+ projects funded by AFD across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, focusing on green investment, climate-resilient agriculture, the circular economy and sustainable solutions in forestry, mobility, energy and industry — all aligned with GGGI’s Programmatic Solutions. 

Munich, Germany, 16 February, 2025 – As global leaders convene at the Munich Security Conference 2025 (MSC2025) to address pressing security challenges, land restoration is emerging as a crucial strategy for conflict prevention and long-term stability. At the MSC 2025 session Conversation on Land Restoration and Security, hosted by UNCCD in partnership with Adelphi research, experts and decision-makers explored the role of land restoration in fostering resilience, security and transboundary cooperation.  UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said: “Land degradation is not merely an environmental crisis — it is a critical security challenge. Over 3 billion people depend on land for survival, yet up to 40 per cent of global land is already degraded, exacerbating food and water scarcity, economic instability and displacement. Governments, security organizations and financial institutions must recognize that restoring land is restoring peace. Without urgent action, competition over shrinking resources will continue to drive instability and displacement.” The significance of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification today extends far beyond its original goal of combating desertification. As fertile soils become increasingly scarce and land rights are challenged globally, these issues threaten food security, biodiversity and climate stability, said Jochen Flasbarth, the State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), adding that “Ultimately, they pose a serious risk to global peace and security. To effectively respond, the agenda on land, peace and security must be elevated on the global stage, with a strong emphasis on integrated cooperation at international, regional and national levels."Land degradation: A global security threat As climate change accelerates desertification and depletes essential resources, competition over dwindling land intensifies, increasing the risks of conflict and forced migration. It is estimated that climate change could lead millions of people moving within their own borders by 2050. The Ground for Peace report highlights: Land degradation exacerbates conflict, intensifying competition over food, water and resources60 per cent of ecosystem services in conflict-affected regions have already been degraded, making recovery even more challengingOnly 10 per cent of global climate finance (2015-2024) has been allocated to land restoration, despite its role in reducing conflict risksThe economic cost of land degradation is estimated at $6.3 trillion annually, significantly impacting global stabilityEnvironmental peacebuilding initiatives, such as transboundary land restoration, create shared incentives for cooperation and long-term stabilityStrengthened governance and land tenure rights are essential to ensuring that land restoration contributes to lasting peace and resilience“The Ground for Peace report presents compelling evidence from global research and real-world initiatives that restoring land and ecosystems is not just an environmental necessity — it is a strategic pathway to peace and security,” says Dr Beatrice Mosello, Senior Advisor at adelphi research. “By demonstrating how sustainable land management reduces competition over resources and fosters cooperation, the report makes a strong case for integrating land restoration into global security policies. Urgent action is needed to scale up financing and policy support, ensuring that land restoration becomes a key tool for peacebuilding worldwide.” The role of land restoration in global security Transboundary land restoration presents a critical opportunity for mitigating and resolving disputes over shared natural resources. By fostering cross-border collaboration, sustainable land management can serve as a confidence-building measure, equipping governments and marginalized communities with the tools needed for cooperative decision-making. One such initiative is the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), launched by the UNCCD in partnership with the Korea Forest Service. The PFI promotes cross-border cooperation in fragile and conflict-affected regions by restoring degraded lands and forests, reducing tensions and fostering trust through shared environmental efforts. Successful large-scale restoration projects further demonstrate the potential of land rehabilitation to strengthen regional cooperation and economic resilience. The Great Green Wall, which stretches across the Sahel, has shown how combating desertification can also enhance stability and livelihoods. Similarly, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) — one of the world's largest conservation zones — exemplifies how joint resource management can protect biodiversity while easing tensions over land and water access across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Latin America, the Cordillera del Cóndor Transboundary Conservation Corridor, established as part of a peace agreement between Ecuador and Peru, underscores the role of environmental restoration in reconciliation and long-term stability. However, the success of these initiatives depends on strong governance frameworks and sustained financial commitments to ensure their long-term viability and impact.  Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Minister of State Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir emphasized the far-reaching consequences of land degradation, stating: “Land degradation leads to conflicts, leads to violence, leads to extremism, leads to terrorism, leads to migration, leads to political instability and leads to all of us paying an extremely high price to deal with the consequences of an issue that, had we paid attention to at the outset, would have cost us a fraction of the resources.” The Ground for Peace report calls for immediate investments in land restoration as a fundamental pillar of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Scalable solutions—such as agroforestry, reforestation and water conservation—must be expanded to stabilize fragile regions, reduce resource-driven conflicts and foster economic resilience. Media contact: press@unccd.int The full report, Ground for Peace: Land Restoration for International Peace and Security report is available here.About UNCCD  The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities and countries create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food, clean water and energy by ensuring land users an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 Parties set up robust systems to manage drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss. About adelphiAdelphi research is an independent think tank and public policy consultancy focused on climate, environment and sustainable development. It supports policymakers and stakeholders in achieving sustainable solutions to global challenges. About the Peace Forest Initiative The Peace Forest Initiative (PFI) is a UNCCD flagship program linking land, peace and security by restoring ecosystems in fragile, conflict-affected areas. Launched in 2019, it fosters transboundary cooperation by uniting communities across borders to co-manage shared land resources. Inspired by early environmental peace-building successes at the 2018 Global LDN Forum, PFI provides an inclusive platform for stakeholders to restore land, soil, water and forests, strengthening resilience, peace and sustainable development. You can watch the recording here.Photo (c): MSC / Thomas Niedermueller

Dear representatives of the UNCCD accredited civil society organizations (CSOs),Through decision 5/COP16, Parties requested the UNCCD Executive Secretary “to facilitate the renewal of the membership of the Civil Society Organization Panel until the next Conference of the Parties starting immediately after sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties, in accordance with previous decisions.”Following that request, the secretariat would like to share with you the call for nominations (see the right-hand menu) and the information related to the elections. Organizations willing to nominate representatives to serve as panel members will need to submit the documents stated in section 1 paragraph d) of the attached document. The deadline for the submission of the candidates is 18 February 2025. After that, and once the candidates have been reviewed and accepted the election process will be open from 21 February to 7 March 2025. Please share this information among your networks and come up with the best member to represent you for the next two years. Only organizations accredited to the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD can nominate candidates

For centuries, rangelands and pastoralist communities have been the backbone of cultures, economies and ecosystems around the world. Covering more than half of the Earth's land surface, these vast landscapes support two billion people and contribute significantly to global food security and climate resilience. Yet they have remained largely invisible in international policy discussions, slowly degrading under the pressures of climate change, unsustainable land use and economic expansion.   At UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, nations took a decisive step by adopting a decision on rangelands and pastoralists, marking an unprecedented commitment to protect these critical ecosystems and the people who depend on them. This commitment represents a fundamental shift, placing rangelands alongside forests and wetlands in global conservation efforts and ensuring that their role in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and food security is fully recognized.   Why rangelands are more important than ever Rangelands and grasslands provide one-sixth of the world's food supply and store nearly one-third of the planet's carbon stocks in their deep-rooted soils. They are vital to smallholder herders, farmers and indigenous communities, yet more than 50 per cent of these ecosystems are now degraded.  As Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), warns, their decline is often overlooked: "When a forest is destroyed, the loss is visible and causes immediate concern. But rangeland degradation is silent, often unnoticed and undervalued." He emphasizes the urgent need for global action to protect these landscapes before it is too late.  Beyond their economic significance, healthy rangelands stabilize soil, prevent erosion, regulate water cycles, enhance biodiversity, and store carbon – essential functions in the fight against climate change. Yet, despite their immense ecological value, these landscapes have historically received far less attention and funding than forests and wetlands. Recognizing this oversight, the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), a global initiative designed to highlight the indispensable contributions of rangelands and pastoralist communities to our planet’s health and economies. A landmark decision at COP16 For the first time, UNCCD Parties adopted a decision to promote the sustainable management, restoration and conservation of rangelands – vast ecosystems used for grazing – ahead of COP17, which will be hosted by Mongolia in 2026.   Countries have pledged to improve pastoralists' land rights by aligning with international guidelines, strengthening legal protections and ensuring access to rangelands. The decision also emphasizes the value of Indigenous and local knowledge in sustainable land management, recognizing the role of traditional pastoral practices in conserving these ecosystems for future generations. Commitments were made to mobilize public-private partnerships, establish biodiversity credits and develop innovative financing models to ensure long-term investment.  This pivotal shift ends decades of neglect and places rangelands at the centre of global sustainability efforts. It aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and strengthens their integration into national biodiversity and climate strategies and action plans. With Mongolia set to host UNCCD COP17 in 2026, the global community has a unique opportunity to cement rangelands as a key focus of environmental policy. Plans are already underway to develop a UNCCD Flagship Initiative on Rangelands, which will foster international cooperation, secure large-scale funding for restoration, and facilitate knowledge sharing between scientists and pastoral communities.    However, systemic challenges remain. Conflicting land use policies, economic pressures and a lack of formal recognition of pastoralists' rights continue to threaten rangeland sustainability. Many pastoralist communities face displacement due to land conversion, mining and large-scale agricultural projects that prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term ecosystem health. Addressing these issues requires an integrated approach that combines scientific research, policy reform and traditional land management.    Translating commitments into action   “The commitments at UNCCD COP16 mark a turning point, but success depends on sustained collaboration. Governments must work closely with pastoralists and livestock value chain agents, conservation groups and financial institutions, to scale up investment through sustainable financing and innovative tools.” said Enrique Michaud co-chair of the IYRP Global Alliance. "Securing pastoralists' land rights is crucial to prevent displacement and conflict, to ensure access to their traditional rangelands and to fortify the ecosystem services they provide." Sustainable rangeland and land-use planning must balance conservation efforts with the economic realities of pastoral livelihoods, promoting land management strategies that maintain ecosystem health while supporting local economies. Rangeland conservation must also be fully integrated into national and global climate adaptation strategies to ensure that these landscapes contribute to long-term resilience to climate change and desertification.   Ensuring rangeland sustainability is not just an environmental imperative – it is a necessity for climate security, food sovereignty and cultural preservation. As UNCCD Parties and partners prepare for COP17, the momentum generated at COP16 must be translated into real action.  About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities and countries create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food, clean water and energy by ensuring land users an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 parties set up robust systems to manage drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss. https://unccd.int About the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists On the initiative of Mongolia, the United Nations General Assembly has designated 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026) to enhance rangeland management and the lives of pastoralists. With this declaration, UN Member States are called upon to invest in sustainable rangeland management, to restore degraded lands, to improve market access by pastoralists, to enhance livestock extension services, and to fill knowledge gaps on rangelands and pastoralism. The IYRP 2026 will coincide with the UNCCD COP17 to be hosted by Mongolia. https://iyrp.info 

To what extent are a country’s economy, people, and infrastructure able to cope with drought and how can they do better? That is what the latest initiative of IDRA looks to answer, as 75 per cent of Earth’s land has become permanently drier in the last three decades and drought is driving forced displacement, disrupting shipping and hampering food and energy production around the world.The International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), the first global AI-driven platform for proactive drought management, unveiled its prototype at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, which laid the groundwork for a future global drought regime.As the tool enters its final development phase ahead of the next UN land conference, which will take place in Mongolia in 2026, IDRO developers and partners break down what sets the Observatory apart, how it fits with existing drought-related initiatives, and why it matters for climate change adaptation.What kind of insights does IDRO provide?IDRO sheds light on the capacity of territories to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to drought from various perspectives —built environments, natural environments, communities, and the economy. By selecting different variables, users from the global to the local level can generate visualizations to understand where the pain points are and set priorities for action.“With IDRO, authorities and land and water managers will be able to analyze and visualize key drought resilience indicators as the basis for better decisions,” says UNCCD Senior Advisor Edgar Gutiérrez-Espeleta.Importantly, users needn’t be specialists to use, and draw value from, the tool, which can support interventions across global, regional, country, and local scales.Why do we need an International Drought Resilience Observatory?“We must move from merely assessing drought risks towards building resilience,” says Andrea Toreti, senior scientist at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC- JRC), who coordinates the Copernicus European and Global Drought Observatories. “This is precisely IDRO’s added value: helping to quantify and evaluate the drought resilience status of a place to inform action on the ground.”The confirmation of 2024 as the warmest year on record highlights the growing urgency to turn science and data into policies and policies into action.“Simply put, we cannot adapt to climate change without building drought resilience,” says Roger Pulwarty, Senior Scientist at the Physical Sciences Laboratory of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). State Secretary of Environment of Spain Hugo Morán, UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Minister for Environment of Saudi Arabia Osama Faqeeha, Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition of Senegal Daouda Ngom, and European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall, during the IDRO presentation at COP16 in December 2024.What unique value does IDRO add to existing drought databases and tools?In the past decade, experts have produced a wealth of data, indicators and metrics on drought and have advocated for a shift in emphasis from response to preparedness. However, the breadth and complexity of this information and the fact that it is scattered means it can be hard for busy decision-makers to use it.IDRO will draw on the best available data globally —including NASA’s and Copernicus’— to answer queries in a format that non-specialists can easily assimilate.“IDRO will package complex drought resilience information into accessible, customizable, and highly actionable formats, unlocking a world of possibilities in terms of assessing priorities, targeting investments, and monitoring progress,” says Hugo Morán, State Secretary of Environment of Spain, which co-chairs IDRA.Who is leading the development of IDRO?IDRO is an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), a global coalition of more than 70 countries and organizations hosted by the UNCCD.The creation of the Observatory is overseen by the IDRA secretariat in collaboration with the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, which acts as a developer, and top experts from governmental, non-governmental, multilateral, and research organizations from around the world.At a COP16 event on IDRO, Executive Secretary of UNCCD Ibrahim Thiaw pointed out the systemic nature of drought and the need to tackle it together: “We can only achieve meaningful results by joining forces; IDRO is a perfect example of the collaborative mindset we require to protect people from impending and future droughts.”The Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition of Senegal Daouda Ngom, who co-chairs IDRA, also welcomed the development of the Observatory: “It reaffirms our joint commitment to making drought resilience a cornerstone of sustainable development and international cooperation.”What initiatives does IDRO build on?The Drought Initiative, launched by UNCCD in 2018, has already supported more than 70 countries in creating national drought plans and improving the technical and institutional capacity to enhance drought management. Additionally, it put together a toolbox that stakeholders can use to boost the resilience of people and ecosystems to drought.How does IDRO relate to initiatives like the Riyadh Drought Partnership?Unveiled at UNCCD COP16, the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership is a financial facility launched by Saudi Arabia —an IDRA member since 2024— to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries in preparing for drought.IDRA, which is currently focused on mobilizing political will and developing innovative tools like IDRO, is proud to have inspired the Partnership and the Arab Coordination Group to raise USD 12.15 billion for the land and drought agenda, as announced during COP16.“IDRO will provide critical information to vulnerable communities and synergize with the Riyadh Partnership,” said Deputy Minister for Environment of Saudi Arabia Osama Faqeeha at an IDRO event at the UN conference.What is next for IDRO?IDRA is convening leading drought experts and allies to fine tune suitable environmental and social indicators for drought resilience; further develop the functionalities of the Observatory, which harnesses remote-sensing data and AI; and enhance data collection and visualization. The final version of IDRO, with all its functionalities, is expected to launch at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia in 2026. 

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14 December — After two weeks of intense negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the largest and most inclusive United Nations land conference wrapped up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The nearly 200 countries convening at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) committed to prioritize land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation. Nations also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for  a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026. In the meanwhile, more than USD 12 billion were pledged to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.Among the main agreements reached at COP16 were the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities to ensure that their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented; a continuation of the Convention’s Science-Policy Interface to strengthen science-based decision-making, and the mobilization of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative.COP16 was the largest and most inclusive UNCCD COP to date: it attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-state actors in the work of the Convention.In a prepared statement, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed emphasized “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16. We must continue to tackle the climate crisis—it is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation, and resilience. Youth and Indigenous peoples must be at the heart of these conversations. Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”In his closing remarks, COP16 President, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, said the meeting marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience.“The Kingdom’s hosting of this important conference reflects its ongoing commitment to environmental issues and sustainable development. It reaffirms its dedication to working with all parties to preserve ecosystems, enhance international cooperation to combat desertification and land degradation, and address drought. We hope the outcomes of this session will lead to a significant shift that strengthens efforts to preserve land, reduce its degradation, build capacities to address drought, and contribute to the wellbeing of communities around the world.”Addressing COP16 closing plenary, Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw stated: “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp. The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods, and opportunities of those who depend on it.”He further emphasized a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues, highlighting the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, forced migration, and global stability.Financial needs and pledgesDuring the Conference, participants heard that UNCCD estimates that at least USD 2.6 trillion in total investments are needed by 2030 to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought. This equals USD 1 billion in daily investments between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought.New pledges for large-scale land restoration and drought preparedness were announced, such as the  Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership which attracted USD 12.15 billion to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries in building their resilience to drought, including a USD 10 billion pledge from the Arab Coordination Group.The Great Green Wall (GGW), an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, also mobilized EUR 11 million from the Italian Government for landscape restoration in the Sahel and EUR 3.6 million from the Austrian Government to strengthen the coordination and implementation of the initiative across 22 African countries. The drive is part of the GGW Accelerator, a UNCCD-supported effort to achieve the ambitions for a greener, more prosperous Sahel.Additionally, the United States and several partner countries and organizations announced total investments of nearly USD 70 million to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS). The initiative looks to build resilient food systems grounded in diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils.The first-ever UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa provided an opportunity to shine a light on the specific challenges facing the region and bring to the fore innovative solutions to land degradation and drought.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced five new projects valued at USD 60 million to ramp up climate and environmental efforts as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. The UNCCD COP16 Presidency also announced the launch of an international sand and dust storm monitoring initiative. This effort, part of a regional early warning system, aims to complement existing efforts overseen by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).The International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), the first global AI-driven platform to help countries assess, and enhance, their capacity to cope with harsher droughts. This innovative tool is an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), which Saudi Arabia joined earlier this year. Greater voice for Indigenous Peoples and other non-state actorsIn a landmark decision, Parties requested the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities. The objective is to ensure that their unique perspectives and priorities are adequately represented in the work of the Convention. The declaration ‘Sacred Lands’, presented during the inaugural Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at a UNCCD COP, underscored the role of Indigenous Peoples in sustainable resource management and called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance, including through participation in land restoration efforts.“Today, history has been made”, said Indigenous People representative Oliver Tester from Australia. “We look forward to championing our commitment to protect Mother Earth through a dedicated Caucus, and leave this space trusting that our voices be heard.”COP16 also saw the biggest youth participation to date, building on the UNCCD Youth Engagement Strategy and Action Plan, that seeks to give youth a more prominent role in land and drought negotiations and  action, and provide technical and financial support for youth-led initiatives.On the gender front, countries underscored the need to pay special attention to all forms of discrimination faced by women and girls when designing and implementing policy and programmes related to land degradation and drought.In recognition of the important role of the  private sector, which currently contributes only 6% of financing towards land restoration and drought resilience, Parties have mandated the UNCCD Secretariat and the Global Mechanism to mobilize private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative. The decision emphasizes the critical role of private sector advocacy, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, and sustainable finance in addressing DLDD challenges. The decision comes after the Business4Land Forum, which brought together the largest-ever number of private sector participants at a UNCCD COP — more than 400— from industries like finance, fashion, agri-food, and pharmaceuticals.Stronger science on land and droughtAcknowledging the role of science as the foundation for sound policies, the Parties agreed on the continuation of UNCCD’s Science-Policy Interface (SPI), which was created at COP11 in 2013 to translate scientific findings into recommendations for decision-makers. At COP16, for instance, the SPI presented definitive evidence that three quarters of the Earth’s ice-free surface have become permanently drier in the past 30 years, with a predicted five billion people living in drylands by 2100, showing the urgency to take action.A new UNCCD report, The Global Threat of Drying Lands: Regional and global aridity trends and future projections, revealed that some 77.6% of Earth’s land has experienced drier conditions since the 1990s compared to the previous 30-year period. Over the same period, drylands — an arid area with low rainfall— expanded by about 4.3 million km2 equal to an area nearly a third larger than India, the world’s 7th largest country. Drylands now cover 40.6% of all land on Earth excluding Antarctica.Seven of nine planetary boundaries are negatively impacted by unsustainable land use, highlighted the UNCCD report Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries, produced in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, which explains how land degradation is undermining Earth’s capacity to sustain a growing human population. The report reiterates that agriculture accounts for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of deforestation, and 70% of freshwater use, and calls for an urgent land use transition to step away from the precipice.According to UNCCD’s newly released World Drought Atlas and Economics of Drought Resilience reports, droughts affect the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people worldwide, pushing already vulnerable communities to the brink. They also cost an estimated USD 300 billion per year, threatening key economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and water.From Riyadh to MongoliaFor the first time, UNCCD Parties made a decision encouraging the sustainable management, restoration and conservation of rangelands — vast ecosystems used for grazing — ahead of COP17, to be hosted by Mongolia in 2026 during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. These ecosystems cover half of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and are the dominant land use in the world’s drylands, but have long been overlooked and are disappearing faster than rainforests.The degradation of rangelands threatens one-sixth of global food supplies, potentially depleting one-third of the Earth's carbon reserves. Some two billion people who live in pastoral areas are among the world’s most vulnerable in the face of desertification, land degradation and drought.ENDNOTESMedia inquiries:For media enquiries, please contact the UNCCD Press Office at press@unccd.int or unccd@portland-communications.comCOP16 decisions are available here: https://www.unccd.int/cop16/official-documentsAbout UNCCDThe United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities and countries create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food, clean water and energy by ensuring land users an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 Parties set up robust systems to manage drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss.About COP16The Conference of the Parties (COP) was established by the Convention as its main decision-making body. It is made up of UNCCD’s 197 Parties (196 countries and the European Union) and is responsible for guiding the Convention so that it can respond to global challenges and national needs.  UNCCD COP16 will be a landmark event to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centred approach. Coinciding with the Convention’s 30th anniversary, UNCCD COP16 was the first major UN conference hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was also the first time a UNCCD COP was held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which knows firsthand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.