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Two business corporations from Egypt and China are recognized as true influencers in combating land degradation. Erdos, Inner Mongolia, China, 28 July 2015 – The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced the two winners of the prestigious Land for Life Award, who showed tangible evidence of combating desertification, land degradation and drought. The announcement was made in Erdos, China during the 5th Kubuqi International Desert Forum. SEKEM from Egypt and Elion Resources Group from China won the 2015 Land for Life Award. Unlike in previous years, this year’s, now in its fourth year, Award carries no monetary prize. The UNCCD secretariat will profile winners’ initiatives and show-case their outstanding works on sustainable land management at national and international events such as the 12th session of the Conference of Parties (COP12) to be held from 12-23 October 2015 in Ankara , Türkiye. “We recognize the champions of sustainable land management in a variety of ways. Land for Life Award is one way that is dedicated to recognizing individuals, groups, institutions and businesses for their innovations and efforts towards land degradation neutrality,” Ms Barbut, Executive secretary of UNCCD, said. “These two winners exemplify the type of leadership and initiatives that business corporations could undertake in contributing to sustainable land management. Their work has not only benefitted the local communities by improving their livelihoods and creating local job opportunities, but has also contributed to conserving nature. What we need now are policies at international and national levels that recognize sustainable land management as part of the solution to climate change and other global issues,” she added. Notes to Editors:  Below are summaries about the winners accompanied by a quote from the winners and the Executive Secretary. SEKEM, Egypt SEKEM, founded by Ibrahim Abouleish in 1977, has been adopting biodynamic agricultural methods to rehabilitate more than 2,000 hectares desert land in Egypt. SEKEM has successfully developed into a thriving agricultural business and was a world pioneer in developing organic cotton cultivation. It has helped to reduce 90% of chemical use in the textile industry in Egypt. SEKEM has also created 1,500 jobs through its subsidiary groups. Today, its work not only covers sustainable land management, but extends to social human development. Through SEKEM Development Foundation (SDF), SEKEM has established the Waldorf kindergarten, schools, vocational training centre and also the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development which started its operation in 2012.      Quote from SEKEM: "Land for Life – this is what Egypt needs very urgently. The growing desertification causes big troubles in many dimensions. Egypt is depending on imports, the country is living below the water poverty line and the nutrition of the population can’t be secured. For 38 years, SEKEM has been committed to reclaiming desert land, turning it into fertile soil for Biodynamic agriculture. Thus, we not only maintain, but also build soil fertility, which is the basis for sustainable agriculture, especially in an arid country like Egypt. SEKEM is very honored to receive the prestigious Land for Life Award, which encourages us even more to continue our efforts towards a sustainable future. SEKEM is a miracle in the desert, which would not have been possible without our partners, friends and supporters from all over the world and the international recognition. We take this Award with deep gratitude and as a motivation for our future efforts in keeping and building land for life in Egypt – not only for ecologic reasons but also to continue with our mission of promoting sustainable development that includes societal and cultural life and an economy of love." Helmy Abouleish, Chief Executive Officer of SEKEM Quote by Monique Barbut: “SEKEM’s sustainable land practice through biodynamic agriculture has successfully turned unproductive land into productivity, and benefited the locals. Their ecological and social approach business model can transform vast areas of degraded areas if replicated in other parts of world that are combating desertification.” Elion Resources Group Elion Resource Group was established 27 years ago, with a focus on eco-environmental restoration and rehabilitation work in desert land and also degraded land in the city. The Group has carried out works based on Elion’s greening ecosystem model, which has improved the livelihoods of 100,000 farmers and herdsmen in Kubuqi Desert. Elion has turned over 11,000 km2 of degraded land into productive land and has been promoting the production of green energy. It has developed a “micro-coal atomization” technology that aims to minimize coal pollutants in the generation of energy. The group also launched the “Green Silk Road Equity Investment Fund”, together with other private enterprises, for the eco-environmental restoration project along the Silk Road. Quote from Elion Resources Group: We are greatly thankful to the UNCCD for its recognition of Elion’s efforts in ecological construction and green development, as well as our spirit, experience and practice of desertification control. We are also grateful to the Government at various levels for their trust and support, and also to the projects’ communities and our partners. This honour also goes to more than 6,000 Elion people who have consistently pursued the cause of sustainable land management. ‘Turning deserts into rich and civilized ecological oases’ is the dream of Elion, and we have contributed 27 years of the best years of our lives to pursue this dream! For 27 years, Elion has created a unique and balanced green development path of ‘restoring and rehabilitating degraded land, ecology, livelihood and economy’, and we will keep walking this path to create a beautiful homeland with green mountains and clear waters. It is a great honour for Elion to receive the UNCCD “Land for Life” Award. With the responsibility entrusted by our Government and the international community, we will create more oases, starting from Kubuqi, to build desert ecological civilizations, which will benefit more people. Quote by Monique Barbut: “I had the opportunity to witness the incredible transformation of degraded land through the innovative ecological land management approach of Elion Resources Group. Their initiative in taking the lead to implement “Greening the Silk Road” can be emulated by international business corporations that are committed to conserving our limited natural resources worldwide.” About the Land for Life Award The Land for Life Award was established at the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP10) in 2011 as part of the Changwon Initiative. It recognizes excellence and innovation by individuals or groups involved in sustainable land management, with a particular focus on achieving land degradation neutrality. The award does not carry any monetary prize. The UNCCD secretariat will highlight and show-case the winners’ work at high level international and national policy decision-making events. Through these proven cases the secretariat aims to make known that land degradation neutrality is compelling and achievable. About the UNCCD Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of healthy soils. The Convention’s 195 Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands, maintain and restore the land’s productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought. For media coverage and interviews, contact: Ms. Wagaki Wischnewski Email: wwischnewski@unccd.int Tel: +49 228 815 2820 Resources Information on Land for Life Programme and Land for Life Award. More on SEKEM. More on Elion Resource Group.  

Milan, Italy, 17 June 2015 – Land degradation is a growing threat to global security, according to Ms. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, who spoke today at the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification at the EXPO Milano, in Italy.  Noting that land degradation is a driver of migration in the Sahel and that the radicalization of youth in areas with severely degraded land is not a coincidence, she called for concerted international action to strengthen food security and create youth employment.  “When land degradation reaches a level where it seriously threatens people’s livelihoods, it can turn into a security issue. Data from 2007 shows that 80% of major armed conflicts affecting society occurred in vulnerable dry ecosystems,” said Ms. Barbut.  But it is not a fate.   “Sustainable land management practices used in parts of Burkina Faso increased harvests by four times. The water table rose by nearly 10 meters in the Maradi Region of Niger, and in China’s Loess Plateau it resulted in nearly double the grain production,” Ms. Barbut stressed. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General, also stressed the link between land degradation and insecurity, noting that it undercuts human rights, including the rights to food and water.  “A world where all rights to food, water and human security are guaranteed is possible.  But we need to change course and start securing every hectare of land that can provide food or freshwater.  Land is a renewable resource, but only if we invest in land degradation neutrality, which has been proposed by United Nations Member States for the post-2015 development agenda. We must avoid degrading more land and, at the same time, rehabilitate all the degraded land that we can. Then, we will also be able to make rapid steps towards controlling climate change,” Secretary-General Ban stressed. Globally, only 7.8 billion hectares of land are suitable for food production. About 2 billion hectares are already degraded, and of these 500 million hectares have been totally abandoned. These lands could be restored to fertility for future use. Between 1983 and 2005, for instance, only 16% of the degrading land was being rehabilitated, mostly in the Sahel region. With 99.7% of our food calories coming from the land, land degradation is a threat to our food security. But its effects are especially harsh for the poorest people who rely directly on the land for survival – food, employment and water. When their lands cannot produce any more, they have little choice but to migrate or fight over what little is left. Mr Giampaolo Cantini, Director-General for Development Cooperation of Italy, said the country, “as both a donor and an affected country within the UNCCD, and as a country bridging the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean, is directly experiencing all the implications of unhealthy soils – productivity, stability and population movements. But Italy is also focusing on the value of soil protection and recovery as an instrument of empowerment, peace and stability for so many, and as a path to general environmental recovery." “Environmental modifications affect our chances of fair and orderly development – basic conditions of peace and stability – when they shrink or shift the location of ecosystem services essential to extract a livelihood of lands,” Mr Cantini said. The effects of land degradation are not unique to Africa. In Mexico, for instance, more than 700,000 people migrate every year from the drylands. Land degradation may lead to the migration of 135 million people by 2045, according to a recent study by the UK’s Ministry of Defence. Yet migrants can be part of the solution, especially when their efforts are invested in improving the lands a majority of their families rely on for food, water and jobs. Migrants in France who left the drought-struck Senegal River valley in the 1970s have invested their remittances in more than 200 development projects in their communities – schools, health care centers, water and even roads. In fact, all the water projects in the Valley have benefitted from migrant remittances.  The health and social benefits of these investments have been significant. What’s more, the cost of rehabilitating degrading land is much lower than the cost we are currently paying to police migrants fleeing resource-driven conflicts. For example, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a mechanized technology inspired from traditional practices, known as the Vallerani system, has helped to restore more than 50 000 hectares of Acacia-based agro-sylvopastoral systems in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger. Crop, gum, resin and fodder produce have increased.  The government of Niger has also developed Pastoral Modernization Zones that build on the idea of semi- pastoralism. As a result, pastoral areas have been utilized in a more balanced manner and overgrazing has fallen by 30-45 per cent since 1990. Neither of these high-impact land projects came at a high cost. "Such successes show that the challenges related to land degradation and desertification are not insurmountable,” said FAO's Deputy Director General Maria Helena Semedo, adding that FAO had recently stepped up action against desertification with partners like the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.  “Bold action and investment in sustainable land management can boost food security, improve livelihoods and help people adapt to climate change," she stressed. The rehabilitation of China’s Loess Plateau is one of the World Bank’s most celebrated projects. It lifted 2.5 million people out of poverty and restored over 50,000 hectares of degraded land. “The World Bank is engaged in concerted efforts around the world to prevent further loss and protect the livelihoods of those most dependent on natural resources for jobs and sustenance,” said Ms. Paola Agostini, Global Lead for Landscapes and TerrAfrica Coordinator at the World Bank. Ms. Agostini drew attention to the New Climate Economy Report, which estimates that restoring just 350 million hectares of degraded lands could provide agricultural produce and land resources worth $170 billion every year, while helping to mitigate climate change. To celebrate the World Day, Ms Barbut called on countries to put land and its sustainable management at the forefront of their national priorities. She said the Convention is “developing the goal of Land Degradation Neutrality to promote actions that will enable us all, as a global community, to get to the point where we are not losing more fertile land than we are reclaiming.” World Day to Combat Desertification is a UN day observed in all countries of the world to raise awareness about the problems and solutions to land degradation - termed ‘desertification’ when it occurs in the world’s vulnerable dry areas. The observance event at EXPO Milan was attended by high ranking government officials, heads of International organizations and the public. It was jointly organized by the Government of Italy, the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, the UNCCD Secretariat and World Bank/TerrAfrica, with the support of the UN EXPO team. For more information contact: wwischnewski@unccd.int

Top sustainable land management prize totaling USD 70,000 goes to development organizations in Afghanistan and Republic of Korea Washington D.C., United States, June 17 2014 – For the third year running, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced the winners of the 2014 Land for Life Award with a USD70,000 cash award, to two organizations that showed tangible evidence in combating desertification, land degradation and drought. The announcement was made during the worldwide celebrations of the World Day to Combat Desertification taking place today. Conservation Organisation for Afghan Mountains Areas (COAM) from Afghanistan and Green Asia Network (GAN) from the Republic of Korea will share the first prize award of USD 35,000 each. COAM is a non-governmental organization working in Afghanistan. Green Asia Network works in Mongolia but plans to expand its work across other dryland Asian countries. H.E. Mr Uahekua Herunga, Minister of Tourism and Environment of Namibia and the President the UNCCD 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP), announced the winners at the global observance event of the World Day taking place at the World Bank Headquarters, in Washington D.C., United States. The village of Adi Shimhabty in Eritrea received a special mention from the jury for its achievements in involving the community to regenerate degraded land in Eritrea’s dryland areas. “The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and its partner organizations recognize the champions of sustainable land management in a variety of ways – including the Land for Life Award” said Ms. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD. “These are the people, mostly fantastic civil society leaders, who promote grassroots action and keep the land healthy and productive” she added.  The Award’s independent jury is made up of sustainable development experts from academia, government and civil society, among them, Professor Joachim von Braun, Director of the Centre for Development Research (ZEF) University of Bonn and Dr. Mary Seely from the Desert Research Foundation in Namibia. Notes to Editors:  Below is a summary about the winners, a quote from each organization and from Ms. Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary, UNCCD. The Conservation Organisation for Afghan Mountains Areas (COAM), Afghanistan Decades of war, extreme poverty and severe climate conditions in Afghanistan have led to severely degraded range-lands that are at risk of desertification. COAM’s interventions include the introduction of solar water heaters, bio-briquettes, tree planting, gravity-fed irrigation systems and watershed management planning. Their ‘clean cook stoves’ and other green technologies reduce the pressure on natural resources in vulnerable rangelands by 50% and provides health and livelihood benefits for women and families. Over 300 villages with more than 3000 households located in two districts in Bamyan province have benefitted directly. These are outstanding achievements under the challenging conditions of a country in transition. The work is driven by experienced youth and values the role of women in sustainable land management.  Quote from COAM: “COAM is greatly honored and thrilled to receive the Land for Life Award.” said the Execitive Director of COAM, Ms. Habiba Amiri.  “I want to take this occasion to thank all the people who have been supported, helped, and worked very hard to move COAM forward for the better application of its aim in Afghanistan. And of course a special thanks and appreciation to the UNCCD for selecting COAM as the first winner of Land for Life Award.” Green Asia Network (GAN), Republic of Korea  In Mongolia, 78% of the land is affected by desertification. This is life threatening because Mongolia depends a lot on livestock farming. GAN concentrates on three areas – the environment, society and economy. It is promoting self-reliance by creating a variety of economic opportunities for affected people at the local level. GAN has trained thousands of locals in forestry practices and sustainable agriculture and engaged as many as 25,000 volunteers to plant trees in the region among other activities.  Participants receive a wage. GAN also operates eco-tours that provide a close view of climate change impacts and allows participants to work on forestry project initiatives. Some of GAN’s participants are eco-refugees that return from the urban areas to the countryside. Upon their return, many are astounded at the transformation of the land they had once abandoned. GAN plans to expand its work to Myanmar, with a focus on building local infrastructure such as tube wells, generators, water tanks and fencing among other activities. Quote from GAN: "Climate change and desertification have affected low land productivity causing poverty in local communities. Since 1998, Green Asia Network has worked to improve the livelihoods of these affected communities and to restore the ecosystem by applying a model, which we developed,” said the Secretary General of Green Asia Network, Mr. Oh, Ki-Chul, “This model can be applied to areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America that are facing similar conditions. We are honored to receive the first place Land for Life Award. It encourages the local communities we work with, our staff and our volunteers, all of whom are dedicated and committed to our work." About the Land for Life Award The Land for Life award programme is a collaborative initiative between the UNCCD and the Korea Forest Service, Elion Resources Group, China, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Global Environment Facility, International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Qatar National Food Security Programme. About the UNCCD Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of healthy soils. The Convention’s 195 Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands, maintain and restore the land’s productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought.

Bonn, Germany, 20 May 2014 – The 14 semi-finalists for this year's Land for Life Award unveiled today are from Afghanistan, Canada, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Togo, Türkiye, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.  Their work ranges from scientific breakthroughs on reversing desertification to combining indigenous agriculture knowledge with modern techniques for soil fertility. Launched by the UNCCD for the first time in 2011, the Land for Life Award will recognize efforts that promote the natural health and productivity of the earth’s soils.  These efforts are lifesaving and provide sustainability and a better life for all, particularly to the poorest communities in the world.   Winners who will share a prize fund of up to 100,000 USD will be announced on 17 June during the global observance event of the World Day to Combat Desertification to be held in Washington D.C. The event will be webcast live. The Award drew interest from people working in all regions of the world, signifying the global scope of land degradation and individual as well as collaborative initiatives to recover the productivity of the land.  The individual, NGO, government, business, media and other applicants all demonstrate a strong commitment to manage the land sustainably. The winners will be selected by a jury with expertise in sustainable land management. It includes personalities like Dr. Vandana Shiva, a renowned seed sovereignty activist from India and Professor Joachim von Braun, Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) University of Bonn among others experts drawn from government, the UNCCD, civil society and academia. The fourteen semi-finalists are: Abellon CleanEnergy, India Abellon supports and works with rural communities to generate value from waste, provides enhanced income and employment to enable higher productivity and efficiency through agricultural best practices training.  It buys biomass from farmers to produce bio-pellets/bio-power for bioenergy generation that replaces fossil fuels like coal and lignite. Adi-Shimhabty, Eritrea A remarkable village works together using scientifically sound techniques to improve the environment and conditions in which they live.  The community has established permanent land closures, all from their own land and conducts joint activities such as terracing, checking dams and land leveling.  They have converted what was virtually barren land to 95% recovered vegetation. This example of unity and action to improve their own lives has become a model for the neighbor villages to solve life threatening issues.  Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM), Zimbabwe The majority of rural communities in Zimbabwe are situated on dry rangelands.  ACHM provides training and support to local and international communities in Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM) programs to properly manage livestock for the restoration of degraded range and croplands suffering from severe degradation and drought.  Agro-pastoralists who depend upon these lands for survival use HLLM to improve the quality of their soil, raise the water-table, increase crop yields and raise healthier cattle. AGIDE, Togo AGIDE demonstrates the overwhelming benefits of mushrooms in making natural fertilizer.  This further improves soil fertility and crop yields and creates a natural biocide that improves pest and disease resistance. Mushroom cultivation and consumption was a traditional aspect of rural life in parts of Togo that had almost died out until AGIDE began training villagers, particularly women, on how to grow mushrooms and make the compost and biocide, and use these products to improve soil and crop yields. Carbon Green Africa, Zimbabwe The turmoil in Zimbabwe’s agricultural production and population growth has led to significant damage to forests from overexploitation.  This is risking its fertile land into becoming desert in northern Zimbabwe. Carbon Green Africa’s project Kariba RED++ addressed deforestation risks through food security conservation farming, fire management, participatory territorial planning, and alternative livelihood generation, and wildlife protection for ecotourism. Chirapaq, Centro de Culturas Indígenas del Perú Chirapaq incorporates sustainable technologies with ancient knowledge for the production of Andean crops, ensuring a way for comprehensive food security with sovereignty for the indigenous Ayacucho Quechua families.  They produce organic fertilizer to improve soil quality and conservation of rainwater in the soil. The Conservation Organisation for Afghan Mountains Areas (COAM), Afghanistan COAM Afghanistan has made outstanding achievements under the challenging conditions of a country in transition. COAM uses ‘clean cook stoves’, which not only reduces the pressure for natural resources on vulnerable arid rangelands by 50%, it also provides health and livelihood benefits for women and families. Drynet, Türkiye Drynet brings together different actors to generate outcomes on a larger scale.  It has created a bridge between local communities, scientists, national and international policy makers and provides sustainable development tools for dryland communities.  It serves as a hub for local knowledge, practice and scientific research and an advocate for sustainable natural resources management by local communities in national and international policy processes. Green Asia Network (GAN), Korea In the arid lands of Mongolia, the Green Asia Network has trained 2,800 locals in forestry practices and sustainable agriculture to restore degraded lands and improve the livelihoods of 14,000 people. GAN has also brought together over 25,000 volunteers (Mongolian: 21,700, Korean: 3,700) to work on sustainable land management projects.  Some 450,000 trees at six sites (total of 450 hectares) have been planted in Mongolia. GAN also operates eco-tours, giving an upfront look at climate change impact and allows participants to work on forestry projects. They have upcoming projects planned in Myanmar. Excellent Development, UK Transforming countless lives in drylands across East Africa, Excellent Development offers technical support for rural communities to build sand dams. Sand dams are benefitting communities in water use for livestock, domestic use and crop production and in coping with drought.  Water held in the dam spreads horizontally, recharging the aquifer, allowing trees and other fauna to grow and restore degraded lands. They have projects in many dryland regions of the world. Irob Community – the soil makers, Ethiopia Characterized by rugged and stony mountains in this geographical location of Ethiopia, there is little land suitable for farming.  Through hard work the communities are reclaiming farmland from valleys and gorges by building check dams and bench terraces.  Using indigenous techniques, the Irob Community has managed to generate almost non-existent farmlands and transformed them from a predominantly vulnerable pastoralism to a more resilient livelihood based on flood trapping and irrigation based agriculture in the face of overwhelming challenges brought by climate change. Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), India NCF works with agro-pastoralists in the high altitude areas of the Himalayas, an area that is home to unique plant and animal species.  NCF’s research in rangeland health has informed national policies and led to innovative community-based programs to improve soil health, increase water security, reduce livestock grazing pressures and protect this unique ecosystem. Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment – SCOPE, Pakistan Tharparkar of Pakistan is a drought prone region where a failed rainy season can cause a drought situation resulting in massive crop and livestock failure. Since its creation, SCOPE has carried out many activities in this region which include rainwater harvesting, rangeland management and enhancing agro forestry practices and has alleviated some of the suffering caused by food insecurity and malnutrition. Taking Root, Canada There was little incentive for agroforestry in Nicaragua due to the lack of missing markets for forest and non-timber forest products.  Since Taking Root was established, agroforestry has now become economically viable for smallholders.  This project takes a landscape approach. It considers how all the farms can work together within the landscape to reforest critical watersheds.  Smallholders are encouraged to reforest the under-utilized and degraded parts of their farms in exchange for direct payments over time as the trees deliver ecosystem services. For more information, click here. About the Land for Life Award The 2014 Land for Life award is a collaboration between the UNCCD and the Korea Forest Service, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Global Environment Facility, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Elion Resources Group, China. About the UNCCD Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of healthy soils. The Convention’s 195 signatory Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands, maintain and restore the land’s productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought. Or contact: Mary Kapiniaris L4L@unccd.int +49 (0) 228 815 2830

Maseru, Lesotho. 4 March 2014 – “Too often in the past, we have exploited, ignored and come into conflict with the needs of our environment,” said Khotso Matla, Minister of Forestry and Land Reclamation of the Kingdom of Lesotho during the observance of African Environment Day/Wangari Maathai Day which was held yesterday. This year, Lesotho in Southern Africa hosted the Day which is celebrated across Africa. The host country for the continent-wide event is held on a rotational basis by the five sub-regions. Matla concluded his remarks by saying that our challenges is “to find the political will, the vision and the common sense to get together for the radical changes that will be essential and are crucial if we really mean business. If we do not see the urgency for such changes, our independence, our sovereignty as Africans, and integrity will  be in danger of becoming just hollow words.” Attended by dignitaries and journalists from all regions of Africa, the observance event was highly symbolic. The event and addresses were delivered by the Fika-le-Mohala rock, the historic venue where King Moshoeshoe 1 (pronounced moo-shwe-shwe), Lesotho’s founding father, addressed his people on national matters, including the founding of the nation. During the celebrations, the tree planting was held in memory of Nobel Peace Prize winner the late Wangari Maathai, a renowned environmental activist and crusader for tree planting in Africa. The African Union re-titled Africa Environment Day in her honor following her demise in 2011. Addressing the Day’s theme, Combatting Desertification in Africa: Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Food Security, Rhoda Tumusiime, Africa Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture said, “it is undeniable that agriculture cannot thrive in Africa if we do not pay due attention to the rational utilization of natural resources, including water and land.” “As other regions of the world turn to Africa looking for the energy, water and food resources need to generate and power their economies, we must ensure that the continent’s abundant natural resources, are by priority, harnessed to catalyze our sustainable development,” Tumusiime added. Lesotho, a country of 2 million people is land-locked, where only 8% of the land is highly productive. The rest is a mountainous plateau, of which nearly 70% are rangelands with thin and fragile soils whose productivity is threatened by overgrazing. Leaders of various international organizations, underscored the critical nature of combating land degradation in Africa, marked the Day as the starting point of the global campaign towards the World Day to Combat Desertification to be held on 17 June. Globally, over half of all agricultural land is moderately and severely degraded, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). And climate stresses account for 62.5% of all stresses on land degradation in Africa, according to the Natural Resources conservation Service of the US Department of Agriculture. National Reports submitted by Parties to the UNCCD show that all the countries in Africa claim they are affected by desertification. In her address at the celebrations, Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga, Head of UNEP’s Southern African Office, said “the world has witnessed an unprecedented sharp decline in terrestrial ecosystems services and functions during the last few decades. Forests and wetlands have been converted to agricultural land to feed a growing population, but at a cost that is not sustainable” by quoting a recent UNEP report. “We need to be more efficient, in the way we produce, consume and supply our land-based products,” she said. Over 300 people, including local schools and communities in the Ha Masana area, where the historic natural rock is located, attended the celebrations and planted the trees. Some 2,000 tree seedlings were delivered for the event. Africa Environment Day was established in 2002, by a decision of the African Union Summit to raise awareness about the benefits of the environment to the lives of the African people, and the threats possible by desertification and drought, among others.     About the UNCCD Emerging from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of sustainable land management. The Convention’s 195 signatory Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands by promoting a specific global response to desertification, land gradation and drought. Each Party is expected to agree and deliver against explicit commitments according to the Convention. For more information contact: Wagaki Wischnewski External Relations, Policy and Advocacy Unit Email: wwischnewski@unccd.int Tel:  +49 173 268 7593 (mobile) For interviews contact: Yukie Hori Spokesperson, UNCCD Secretariat Email: yhori@unccd.int Tel:  +49 228 815 2829 +49 173 268 7590 (mobile)

Maseru, Lesotho, 3 March 2014 – To mark Africa Environment Day, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has issued Desertification: The invisible frontline, a publication showing the link between desertification, climate change and the growing threats to national and international security. There is no systematic research to date showing that desertification, climate change and conflict interact. Scholars, leading security organizations and practitioners have often alluded to this possibility, but this is one of the first initiatives from the UNCCD recently to highlight possible relations among these dynamics. The study shows an overlap in the regions in Africa that are highly vulnerable to desertification and where seasonal temperatures as well as incidences of drought and erratic rainfall have risen over the last 40 years, with areas that had high incidences of terrorist attacks in 2012 and of conflict and food riots in 2007-2008. Food insecurity, water conflicts, migration, internal displacement, political radicalization and state failure are increasingly evident in countries where large poor populations that depend on fragile or desertified lands are increasingly exposed to extraordinary weather events, according to the report. “Climate change is bringing more extreme weather like prolonged droughts and flash floods to more communities – the communities, who are most vulnerable to desertification... World Day to Combat Desertification on the 17th of June is a unique opportunity to remind everyone that land degradation can be effectively tackled and that solutions exist,” according to Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary. Barbut delivered the remarks in Maseru, the Kingdom of Lesotho in Southern Africa, via a video-recorded message, at an event organized to kick-start the global campaign leading up to the 17 June World Day. The campaign promotes an ecosystem-based approach as a way to climate-proof land and secure its productivity for present and future generations. It is spearheaded by the UN and intergovernmental organizations behind the 2010-2020 UN Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (UNDDD), including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “The loss of arable land to desertification is a huge obstacle to eradicating poverty and hunger,” said Kanayo Nwanze, President of IFAD. “Every day at IFAD, we are confronted with the human cost of this. Subsistence farmers, nomadic herders and other people who depend on land and rain for their survival are hit the hardest. Their land is less productive and their soil is less resilient." "For millions of people, halting desertification is a matter of life and death. When people cannot earn an income from the land or feed themselves, they must migrate or starve. If we are going to eliminate rural poverty and make communities more resilient to climate change, we have to address how land and natural resources are managed,” continued Nwanze. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Biodiveristy (CBD) emphasized the importance of the conservation, effective management, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity for ensuring the maintenance of ecosystem services in times of climate variability and change. “As sister Rio Conventions, the CBD and the UNCCD have many areas of convergence, the most significant being the work to conserve, restore and sustainably utilize dryland ecosystems,” Braulio said. “In particular, I would like to highlight Aichi Biodiversity Target 15 which calls for the enhancement of the resilience of ecosystems and the restoration of at least 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification.” Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson said "Nowhere else in the world are the threats of desertification more inextricably linked to food security and political and economic stability than in the drylands of Africa. Since its inception, the GEF has been working with all African nations in overcoming these threats by investing in natural resource management innovations that are transformational at scale." "The GEF commitment is based on the recognition that having farmable land means engaging in good land management practices to fight desertification; making water available to support agriculture keeps rural economies strong; and supporting local livelihoods helps people not to simply survive, but thrive. From the oases of North Africa to the Sahelian region of West Africa and highlands of Eastern Africa, GEF investments have demonstrated time and again that these approaches can make a difference. Let's expand, scale up, do more, and do it better." A campaign guide with infographics, facts, data and examples of land degradation and sustainable land management were also released at the event that took place during the celebrations of the annual African Environment Day/Wangari Maathai Day being observed today across Africa. The campaign will peak on 17 June with the observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification in all countries. Resources are available here About the UNCCD Emerging from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of sustainable land management. The Convention’s 195 signatory Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands by promoting a specific global response to desertification, land gradation and drought. Each Party is expected to agree and deliver against explicit commitments according to the Convention. For more information contact: Wagaki Wischnewski External Relations, Policy and Advocacy Unit Email: wwischnewski@unccd.int Tel:  +49-173-268 7593 (mobile) For interviews contact: Yukie Hori Spokesperson, UNCCD Secretariat Email: yhori@unccd.int Tel:  +49 228 815 2829 +49 173 268 7590 (mobile)

Bonn, Germany, 9 January 2014 – Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, has accepted her designation as Drylands Ambassador of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) for at least two years, to promote the shift towards sustainable land management practices globally and better livelihoods for rural women in the drylands. "Sustainable development, poverty eradication and the empowerment of women are very close to my heart. That is why I agreed to serve as Co-Chair of the UN Millennium Summit, later as Co-Chair of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainably, and now as Drylands Ambassador of the UNCCD," Halonen said when she accepted the designation. "Soil protection and the promotion of sustainable land management and agriculture are central tools for tackling poverty. I intend to promote sustainable land management at all levels, and its inclusion in the sustainable development goals and the post-2015 Development Agenda. This is crucial for effective poverty eradication," Halonen added. Scientists estimate that every year, at least 12 million hectares of productive land is lost through desertification and drought alone, and that over 24 billion tons of fertile soil is lost through erosion. Poor agricultural practices are a leading driver and have become more powerful as weather events get more erratic and extreme. Welcoming Drylands Ambassador Halonen, Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary said, “Her Excellency is a global leader on sustainable development and women’s empowerment. We are deeply honored by her willingness to put her vast experience and expertise at the disposal of the Convention.” “Effective cooperation is a pre-requisite for addressing land degradation and reducing poverty. And she is a strong advocate on how to resolve the widespread poverty and gender disparities that are tearing apart societies, especially among many of the climate-vulnerable land-dependent dryland peoples of the world. We will also listen carefully to her advice,” Barbut added. At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012, world leaders agreed to strive towards a land-degradation neutral world with a view to halt the rapid loss of productive land. Former Presidents Halonen of Finland and Pedro Pires of Cape Verde, who also became a UNCCD Drylands Ambassador in October 2013, intend to promote the realization of this vision. Halonen was President of Finland from March 2000 to March 2012, and is Finland’s first female head of state. Social justice and the promotion of equality have remained core issues in her political career. UNCCD Drylands Ambassadors are designated by the Executive Secretary and serve for a two-year term with the possibility of renewal.

More partnerships and investment are needed to support the pan-African partnership to tackle desertification and land degradation Rome, Italy, 16 December 2013 – The Great Green Wall initiative is hosting an international forum to build new partnerships and accelerate progress in tackling one of this century’s defining development challenges – land degradation, desertification and drought. The forum will also take stock of the achievements and future challenges of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative. The two-day event, organized by the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD (GM) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the auspices of the African Union Commission (AUC), is taking place on 16-17 December at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Since its adoption in 2007 by African Heads of State and Government, the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative has become Africa’s flagship initiative in tackling the detrimental social, economic and environmental impact of land degradation, desertification, drought and climate change. It is estimated that 83 per cent of rural people in Sub-Saharan Africa depend on the land for their livelihoods, but 40 per cent of Africa’s land resources are currently degraded. Poverty, hunger, unemployment, forced migration, conflict and security issues are just some of the many threats arising from this situation. In the Sahel, seasonal temperatures have risen between 1.5-2.0 degrees Celsius, making land and the local populations all the more vulnerable to weather events that have become more and more unpredictable and severe. Bold coordinated action and more investments in sustainable land management are needed to boost food production, help people adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects, support biodiversity, enhance businesses based on land resources and contribute to a green economy. Action on the ground A mosaic of natural resource management programmes underway in some of the countries, demonstrate the potential of sustainable land management to boost food security, improve community livelihoods and build the resilience of the land and the people to the changing climate. In southern Niger, for instance, farmers have rehabilitated over 5 million hectares of land, using a low cost land restoration technique called farmer-managed natural regeneration. This has boosted crop and livestock yields, as well the production of medicine and firewood. In Senegal, 27 000 hectares of degraded land were restored by the planting of 11 million trees. Part of this re-greened area is being converted into a community-based reserve for eco-tourism. A mechanized technology, known as the Vallerani-system inspired from traditional practices has helped to restore more than 50 000 hectares of agro-forestry systems in Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal. It is seeding native trees, shrubs and herbs, boosting the production of crops, gums and resins, and providing fodder for livestock. Breaking the cycle “The time has come to break the vicious cycle of crises in Africa's Sahel by building up the ability of rural communities to weather drought and other shocks, rather than merely helping them recover from disaster,” said Maria-Helena Semedo, FAO’s Deputy Director-General, at the opening of the event. "The Great Green Wall initiative is an opportunity to bring a coordinated and harmonized response to the issues of forced migration, food security and peace in Africa", Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), said to the representatives of African countries, international organizations, development banks, civil society and the private sector. With less than three per cent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s total cropland currently benefiting from sustainable land and water management, she warned that a major effort would be required to build the resilience of people in the region and the natural systems on which they so intimately depend. EU Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, added: “I am pleased to support the Green Wall initiative – it is very much in line with the EU’s own commitment to doing all we can to help people in those countries most affected by climate change to be able to better adapt to its impact in the future, as well as improving food security and making agriculture more sustainable.” Expanding partnership “Partnerships are crucial to support governments in mobilizing the necessary technical and financial resources for the implementation of their Great Green Wall plans,” said Dr. Abebe Haile Gabriel, Director for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission. New partnerships are needed to strengthen the global alliance that has emerged under the leadership of the African Union, he added, stressing the need for streamlined coordination among partners and the importance of close monitoring and evaluation of the impact of their actions. So far, the African Union – in cooperation with the European Union, FAO, the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew and the Walloon Region of Belgium – has mobilized more than €50 million in support of the Great Green Wall Initiative. The World Bank and Global Environment Facility are financing the US$1 billion Sahel and West Africa Program (SAWAP), active in 12 countries together with a regional hub project called Building Resilience through Innovation, Communication, and Knowledge Services (BRICKS), implemented by the Permanent Interstates Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the Sahara and Sahel Observatory  (OSS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Great Green Wall initiative Endorsed in 2007 by African Heads of State and Government, the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative aims to reverse land degradation and desertification in the Sahel and Sahara, whilst mitigating social, economic and environmental crises for the region’s most vulnerable people. The initiative brings together more than 20 African countries across North Africa, the Sahel and the Horn, international organizations, research institutes, civil society and grassroots organizations, supporting local communities in the sustainable management and use of forests, rangelands and other natural resources in dryland areas.  It also seeks to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well improve the food security and community livelihoods in the Sahel and the Sahara. Contact Global Mechanism of the UNCCD Maurizio Navarra Communications Officer m.navarra@global‐mechanism.org

Warsaw, Poland, 19 November 2013 – ‘Land belongs to the future, let’s climate proof it!’ is the slogan for next year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and drought. It captures the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation for 2014 and underscores the urgent need for action to protect healthy ecosystems and to manage productive land sustainably. “Land is the basis of all life on Earth and the source of livelihood for over 2 billion people. But every year, over 12 million productive hectares are transformed into wasteland through desertification and drought alone,” says Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). "There is a fairly close match between ecosystem collapse and the political instability or conflict in the world today. With the livelihoods of so many people still dependent on the land, climate proofing our productive lands, especially in the world’s drylands, cannot be delayed any further.” “Either we take the measures needed to enhance resilience and enable land-dependent communities to adapt or we prepare for the political consequences of our inaction. The choice is ours and 2014 is the year we are calling on every country to do its part," Barbut added. Under the theme of ecosystem-based adaptation, the World Day to Combat Desertification aims to increase the attention given to land and soil in the context of climate change adaptation and food security, as well as to mobilize public actions for sustainable land management. Ecosystem-based adaptation focuses on natural solutions for adapting to the impacts of climate change.  It is one of the least costly adaptation strategies and offers many co-benefits, such as water, soil and biodiversity conservation. Until now, climatic variations combined with unsustainable human activities have been the main drivers of land degradation and desertification. However, an increase in the number of extreme weather events and severity of droughts and floods in the last decades is threating the livelihoods of many communities around the world.  The impacts are taking a toll on the resilience of ecosystems and communities, making it harder and harder for people who depend on the land for sustenance to recover their livelihoods. This in turn has serious implications for migration and security. Through ecosystem-based adaptation, preventive actions could be taken to protect land and soil, which ultimately, is more cost effective than responding to disasters. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought has been marked every year since 1994. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to be observed in every nation in order to raise awareness about the effects of unsustainable land use and to promote implementation of the UNCCD. During the 2014 commemoration, the UNCCD will announce the winners of the 2014 Land for Life Award. This is a prestigious global award with a prize fund of USD$100,000 to recognize innovations and leadership in land and soil management and restoration. Applications for the Award, which is open to individuals, organizations, governments and research institutions, are now being accepted.  The application deadline is 15 March 2014. As part of the day’s activities, governments will also announce their 2014 National Drylands Champions, a recognition program which rewards national activities that make a practical contribution to sustainable land management. For more information on the World Day to Combat Desertification, click here.

Bonn, Germany, 14 October 2013 – His Excellency Pedro Pires, former President of Cape Verde, has accepted his designation as UNCCD Drylands Ambassador. “Sustainable Land Management, particularly the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought are major priorities for Africa,” Pires said in his acceptance message, noting further that the mission of the UNCCD secretariat “is a source of hope for a large number of countries with regard to the support needed to put in place an effective and successful programme of action.” Mr Pires expresses specific interest in promoting sustainable land management, particularly in the context of the global post-2015 Development Agenda.  The post-2015 Development Agenda is designed to bring together two separate processes: the development of Sustainable Development Goals, the outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio + 20; and the follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals that were set for up to 2015. In June 2012 at Rio + 20, world leaders recognized the growing challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought, and agreed to strive towards a land-degradation neutral world, and to monitor, globally, land degradation and land restoration in the drylands. The UNCCD has a major stake in the post-2015 Development Agenda because of the large global population of the poor residing in the drylands and depends directly on the land. The Convention also has the unique mandate of addressing both the environment and development challenges stemming from poverty and inappropriate land use. In his last official function as UNCCD Executive Secretary, Mr. Luc Gnacadja, in reference to the designation said, “we are honored to have His Excellency serving as UNCCD Drylands Ambassador. He will be a powerful spokesperson on sustainable development and combatting desertification in the global efforts to mobilize the political will needed to turn the tide towards first-rate global land stewardship.” “One of the persistent challenges the UNCCD has encountered since its inception in 1994 is making a strong case about the value of the drylands and the benefits of sustainable land management. Our effort in this regard has been gradually recognized, but we need to further enhance our advocacy so that sustainable land management becomes a key pillar of the post-2015 development agenda,” he added.  UNCCD Drylands Ambassadors are appointed to undertake specified functions, including advocacy, knowledge dissemination, awareness raising and increasing the visibility of the often poor and voiceless drylands populations. They are offered an initial two-year term that is renewable.  Others who have served or are serving as UNCCD Drylands Ambassadors include Dr. Dennis Garrity, former Director-General of the World Agroforestry Center, economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs, renowned South African gospel singer Deborah Fraser and Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes of Angola. Mr Pires is an awardee of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, in recognition of making Cape Verde a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity. About the UNCCD Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of healthy soils. The Convention’s 195 signatory Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands, maintain and restore the land’s productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought.