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UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw announced the appointment of Tina Birmpili of Greece as the next Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCCD.
An international technology competition to design software that can support well-informed land use decisions is launched by the Group on Earth Observation Land Degradation Neutrality (GEO-LDN) Initiative.
The UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw joined a video chat with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mr. Muhtar Babayev and UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Ghulam Isaczai to discuss the support provided by the UN agencies to the republic during the prolonged drought and increasing water shortages. The minister expained that the effects of the climate change in the republic include an average temperature increase of 1.4 C, with the expected reduction of river flow by 23 per cent on average between 2021-2050. Since 70 per cent of water resources in Azerbaijan originate outside the country, integrated water management and cooperation among the republics of South Caucasus is crucial to water security. As Mr. Babayev explained, the country would like to see a stronger engagement of UN agencies in facilitating dialogue and creating cooperation mechanisms for countries that share common river basins. The minister also presented the project to digitize tracking of water usage at the farm level and confirmed that Azerbaijan is interested in accessing good practices in smart agriculture and drought management through the UNCCD knowledge platforms. Mr. Thiaw highlighted the detrimental effects of drought and water insecurity on social and economic development as one of the main reasons for establishing the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought (IWG). The group was launched at UNCCD COP14 to develop recommendations for establishing technical, financial and policy mechanisms to address drought. Mr. Thiaw encouraged the Minister and his team to follow the work of IWG and ensure that the water security concerns of the country are addressed. Mr. Thiaw stressed that UNCCD supports technological advancements as the investment in the future water security, with the best techniques and approaches adaptable to the regional and local context. Mr. Ghulam Isaczai confirmed the commitment of the UN country team to support the Government of Azerbaijan as outlined in the country cooperation framework for the next five years and emphasized the need for immediate action to raise awareness on water saving technologies through policy and by sharing good practices. The meeting participants agreed to continue dialogue between UNCCD, the UN country team and the ministry on immediate and long-term measures to build a water-secure future for Azerbaijan.
The second phase of the peatland restoration project is now underway in Belarus, supported by UNCCD. It will involve the application of rewetting techniques, improvements in monitoring, forecasting and early warning of peatland fires assessment of the CO2 removal from rehabilitated sites. The project will help reduce the impacts of climate change on the sustainable economic development and to improve the living standards of the population in the Gomel region by developing local capacity for sustainable management of natural resources. A team of Belarusian experts, together with the Global Mechanism of UNCCD, is currently developing a gender-responsive transformative project to rewet 33,000 ha of degraded peat- and mirelands, achieving multiple benefits at scale. Rewetting and re-naturalization of Belarusian peatlands will provide a number of ecosystem benefits: the level of ground water will rise, reducing drought risks through accumulation of freshwater. By preventing further mineralization of peats, the soil carbon will be locked in the rewetted areas, also removing carbon from the atmosphere. Rewetted peatlands also have a larger potential to sustain biodiversity, including economically natural resources such as cranberry bogs. Another promising path is the development of ecotourism to utilize the recreational potential of the mires. The UNCCD supports the efforts of the Government of Belarus on rehabilitation of peatlands since 2018 through the Greening Drylands Partnership, an initiative funded by the Government of South Korea. Between 2018-2019, about 1000 ha of degraded peatlands have been rewetted in Mogilev region in the south-east of Belarus. Sustainability of the rehabilitation measures is grounded in the strong partnership built between local authorities, forestry department and local community. Learn more: Peatland restoration project results on UNCCD YouTube Peatland rehabilitation in Belarus in response to drought and sand storms
he UNCCD COP Bureau held a virtual meeting on Friday 26 June, confirming the commitment of the Parties to advocate for environmental action and drive transformative change for people and the planet.
The first-ever online global observance of Desertification and Drought Day has proven to be a global success, thanks to the support and contributions of many prominent public figures and organizations.