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Experts share key success factors in reducing vulnerability to drought Drought is a hazard, but it needn’t be a disaster. That is, provided all communities are adequately equipped before it strikes. At the 10th World Water Forum, held in Bali from 18 to 25 May, experts urged decision-makers to prioritize drought resilience in the face of climate change, drawing inspiration from success cases around the globe. Representatives from the scientific, non-profit, and technical sectors made the case for building resilience to the world’s costliest and deadliest hazard at an event featuring partners of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA.) The session took place at the Spanish Pavilion under the auspices of the General Directorate for Water of Spain and the UNCCD. The experts convened as the need to bridge science and policy for drought risk management is becoming more apparent: global warming is ushering in a new era of rapid-onset, or flash, droughts, just as the global freshwater demand is set to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, putting societies, economies, and ecosystems on the line. These are the key takeaways from the conversation: California to East Africa “Drought and desertification are not just problems for the Sahel region of Africa and for developing countries,” said UNCCD policy officer Daniel Tsegai before an international audience. “We already see impacts in highly productive and populated parts of the developed world like California, Spain, and Australia.” In the past two decades, the Colorado river basin (US), which is home to 40 million people, has been experiencing the worst drought in 1,200 years; Australia, has recently grappled with the harshest drought in 800 years; in the Horn of Africa, the worst event in 40 years has left 23 million people severely food-insecure, and Spain has seen the water level of some dams drop to 1% of their capacity. “The good news is that investments in drought resilience have an up to tenfold return, and we know what it takes to decouple the severity of a drought from its most serious impacts on lives and livelihoods,” explained Tsegai. Unconventional water resources For thousands of years, mobile pastoralism has been a prime survival strategy in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the most arid regions in the world. However, urbanization, population growth, and lifestyle changes have brought new challenges —and are spawning new solutions. “We are looking to expand sewage water treatment and desalination, for example, to irrigate crops, and we are also keen on further building local capacity on sustainable land and water management,” said Omar Ouda, senior water management advisor at the Ministry of Water, Environment and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. The country will host the largest-ever UN land and drought summit, or UNCCD COP16, from 2-13 December. Spain, in the Mediterranean basin, has more than 700 desalination plants, including the largest in Europe for drinking water, which is now catering to more than 4.,5 million people in the drought-struck Barcelona area. The amount of energy required to desalinate water, though, remains a key consideration when opting for this tool. “We make decisions based on indicators like dam water levels,” said water commissioner at the Júcar River Basin Authority in Spain Marc Garcia, who noted the importance of adopting a proactive approach to drought management. “On the basis of such information, authorities assess options like intensifying desalination, decommissioning wells and, if necessary, restricting water use in certain basins.” Nature-based solutions While technology and grey infrastructure can contribute to building resilience, nature-based solutions and sustainable land and water management remain central to mitigating, and adapting to, future droughts, according to several panellists. Land degradation, for example, disrupts regional rainfall patterns by disrupting the amount of water that regularly moves from the earth to the air. Conversely, healthy lands support consistent seasonal and annual rainfall; facilitate aquifer recharge; and mitigate the risk of droughts and floods. “Nature can be a big part of the solution,” said the Director of Water Scarcity and Markets at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Tom Iseman. “For instance, it is essential we protect source watersheds, keeping their storage capacity intact, slowing runoff, and protecting water quality,” said the expert of TNC, which is engaged in source water protection initiatives across Africa. Success factors for water governance The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is helping communities conserve and use water more efficiently, based on the latest scientific insights and innovations —from drought-tolerant seeds and improved irrigation methods to remote sensing technologies to explore new water resources. They also support policy-makers in creating drought policies across Africa and Asia. “To define drought policies, it ideally needs to be raining outside because it takes time to put them together,” said IWMI deputy director general Rachael McDonnell, and explained they involve the ministries of health, environment, agriculture, economy, infrastructure, and finance, as well as statistical and meteorological agencies. The process must engage all governance levels, from national institutions to local administrations and communities, she said, and make sure crucial data is available to all of them —a consideration they keep front and centre as they support the creation of early warning systems in countries like Zambia, Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon. For director general of the US National Drought Mitigation Centre at the University of Nebraska, Mark Svoboda, another key is involving users in the co-design of information systems and tools to build ownership in the long run. From his experience in southern Africa, countries that successfully appropriate and put to use drought early warning systems create a ripple effect. “They generate positive peer pressure: neighboring countries want to understand how to do what they do, so building trust now takes one year, instead of eight,” said Svoboda. “It all starts with political will, and showing tangible results is the best way to get buy-in from decision-makers.” Drought communications In the lead up to major international events like UNCCD COP16 and Drought+10, participants called on the Alliance to get the word out on the urgency of building drought resilience. “Drought is a major threat multiplier, but it is too often lost to audiences, overshadowed by geopolitics and other conflicts,” said McDonnell from IWMI. Executive secretary and CEO of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Alan AtKisson echoed the need to boost communications on drought at all levels, from the public and affected communities to political leaders and the finance sector: “We need to talk much more about drought resilience, and we need investors to understand how drought can impact their value chains going forward,” said AtKisson. “Tropical storms get the headlines, but the hazard that destroys most economic value on our planet is drought.”

The Great Green Wall Observatory, a digital platform that will help track progress of Africa's largest land restoration initiative, was unveiled on 27-29 May following the meeting of 11 participating countries in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Observatory was developed by the Great Green Wall Accelerator, hosted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as part of its supporting role to the Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall (PAGGW) and other partners.   The Great Green Wall is an ambitious and transformative Initiative launched by the African Union in 2007 to combat land degradation, desertification, and the negative impacts of climate change in the Sahel region of Africa.   Across the African continent, degrading land jeopardizes farmers' livelihoods and shapes economies heavily reliant on agriculture, compromising public health and education, while also destabilizing regional and global trade, and being a major driver of conflicts and forced migration.   Restoring land is essential for safeguarding ecosystems, driving economic growth, mitigating natural disasters, and enhancing land productivity and food supplies. This is of particular importance in the Sahel, where political and security challenges make progress a matter of urgency. Success in this region offers a model for other areas facing similar challenges, demonstrating that humanity can overcome adversity and promote sustainable development.  The Great Green Wall Accelerator, established in 2021 and hosted by the UNCCD Global Mechanism, was created to strengthen the monitoring of the Initiative's funding and results. The Accelerator has played a pivotal role in enhancing governance, fundraising efforts, and stakeholder engagement across the Initiative.  While ‘commendable progress’ has been made in land restoration and job creation, overcoming challenges in governance, finance and technical support remains critical. Stakeholders are calling for greater clarity and data on progress.   The Great Green Wall Observatory, funded by the Government of Austria through the Austrian Development Agency, is a direct response to this need for the national agencies and the Pan African Agency. Through its creation, UNCCD has supported the development of a comprehensive map of available funds and projects to facilitate access to financial resources.   "The Great Green Wall Observatory, which we have just launched, is a product that we appreciate very much because it has been produced in a very participatory way and it meets the existing needs by allowing us to assess the status of funding and progress in our respective countries.” said Pananditigri Nabasnogo Roch, National Coordinator of Burkina Faso's Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative.   These data are, for the first time, available online – thus helping ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative.  “The Great Green Wall remains the beacon of hope for Africa and the world, symbolizing humanity's ability to combat environmental degradation. We call on all stakeholders, partners, and communities to continue their commitment in support of this visionary initiative. Data remains a critical asset to the success of this initiative, and we call on all stakeholders to make use of the Great Green Wall Observatory to contribute relevant data to help accelerate progress,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.   It is important to note that the UNCCD does not provide funding nor implement the Great Green Wall Initiative. Instead, the UNCCD provides critical technical support, encourages private sector participation, and promotes the involvement of civil society and research institutions through national Great Green Wall coalitions.   “Through these actions, the UNCCD aims to support the Great Green Wall Initiative countries and partners in achieving its long-term goals and create a sustainable, resilient future for the people of the Sahel and beyond,” added Thiaw.  About the Great Green Wall Initiative   The Great Green Wall is an African-led movement launched in 2007 by leaders from the Sahelian countries, with an epic ambition to grow an 8,000 km natural wonder of the world across the entire width of Africa. Countries of the initiative include Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad.  The Initiative aims to regreen the Sahel, restoring degraded lands and providing decent livelihoods as well as jobs and opportunities for millions of people in Africa. It snakes all the way from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East. The Great Green Wall aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs by 2030.  About the Great Green Wall Accelerator   In 2021, the Great Green Wall Accelerator, hosted by the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was created to monitor funding and results of the GGW Initiative.  The independent review of the Great Green Wall Accelerator is available here.  About the Great Green Wall Observatory  In 2023, Development Gateway, an IREX Venture (DG), was contracted by the UNCCD to develop and roll out the platform as a monitoring evaluation system to inform local, national, and regional programming.   For more information - https://ggwobservatory.org/en  

Kigali, Rwanda, 24 May 2024. On the occasion of the Global conference on decent jobs for youth, the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) joins the United Nations Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, committing to fostering youth engagement in the implementation of the Convention. “UNCCD strives to realize a future where youth and youth organizations have a strong voice in decision-making on land use, and are recognized as vital actors in combatting desertification, land degradation and drought. With this commitment, UNCCD aims to create a new generation of “landpreneurs” inspired to build a more equitable and sustainable future based on meaningful jobs and careers that restore a healthy relationship with nature,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), involving youth in transforming food systems and land restoration activities can contribute to the creation of the estimated 600 million jobs required over the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs.[1] Decent Jobs for Youth was launched in 2016 as a joint effort of the United Nations system to address the youth employment challenge, which is a central element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is a global multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together governments, social partners, the private sector, youth, and civil society organizations, among others. The UNCCD commitment will foster participation and partnerships, capacity building and networking to empower them to pursue meaningful and sustainable careers in sustainable land and water management. The first opportunity to do so will be this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, 17 June 2024, which focuses on intergenerational land stewardship under the theme of “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.” The event will also mark the launch of the first UNCCD Youth Engagement Strategy, emphasizing the importance of youth voices at the negotiating table. About UNCCD  The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. https://www.unccd.int/   For more information, please contact: Media office: press@unccd.int Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, ILO | decentjobsforyouth@ilo.org   [1] International Labour Organization. 2022. Investing in Transforming Futures for Young People X Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022.

UNCCD COP16 host raises water resilience issues on the global agenda Bonn/Riyadh, 23 May 2024—The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the latest country to formally join the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the global coalition mobilizing political, technical, and financial capital to prepare the world for harsher droughts. This addition brings the total membership of IDRA to 37 countries and 28 intergovernmental and research organizations, reflecting a growing commitment to address droughts in the face of climate change and unsustainable land management. Launched at UN Climate Summit COP27 by the leaders of Spain and Senegal, IDRA rallies world leaders against one of the world’s most deadly and costly natural disasters, acknowledging that we are only as resilient to drought and climate change as our land is. The IDRA secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al Fadley, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said: “We see IDRA as an opportunity to protect our societies and economies in the face of drought.  As hosts of the largest-ever UN conference on land and drought this December, one of our priorities is to further the countries commitment to a drought-resilient future.” His Excellency Minister Al Fadley emphasized that Saudi Arabia's hosting of COP 16 reflects the commitment of its leadership to environmental protection at the national, regional, and international levels, and adds to pioneering efforts  like the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative. Al Fadley also highlighted the urgent need to build drought resilience globally, while combating land degradation and desertification to counter their environmental, economic, and social impacts. He expressed hope that the Alliance would foster effective collective action and intensify global efforts to address these issues, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources for future generations. One-quarter of the world’s population is already affected by drought, and three out of four people are projected to face water scarcity by 2050. In the Middle East and North Africa, 100 percent of the population will live with extremely high water stress by 2050. Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain, Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and IDRA Co-Chair Ms. Teresa Ribera encouraged more countries to follow in the steps of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, noting that drought resilience yields returns of up to ten times the initial investment: “The Alliance is as strong as the knowledge, experiences, and networks contributed by its members. I invite world leaders to join IDRA to transform the way humanity tackles drought, building our collective defenses before crises strike.” UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw concluded: “Droughts are a natural phenomenon, but we are turbo-charging them by degrading our lands and disrupting the climate. In the lead up the UNCCD COP16, I urge countries to raise their ambitions for healthy lands and drought-resilient societies and economies.” A watershed year for land and drought UNCCD COP16, taking place in Riyadh from 2-13 December, will be the largest-ever meeting of UNCCD’s 197 Parties, the first to be held in the Middle East region, and the largest multilateral conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom will also host the 2024 World Environment Day global celebrations with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. On 17 June 2024, Desertification and Drought Day will mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), one of the three Rio Conventions alongside climate and biodiversity. *** Notes to editors For interviews and enquires please contact: press@unccd.int. X / Instagram: @unccd  About IDRA The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) is the first global coalition creating political momentum and mobilizing financial and technical resources for a drought-resilient future. As a growing platform of more than 30 countries and 20 institutions, IDRA draws on the collective strengths of its members to advance policies, actions, and capacity-building for drought preparedness, acknowledging we are only as resilient to drought and climate change as our land is. The work of IDRA is aligned with, and supportive of, the mandate of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which hosts the IDRA Secretariat. For more information: https://idralliance.global. About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. https://www.unccd.int

Rangelands cover 54 per cent of all land; as much as 50 per cent are degraded, imperilling 1/6th of humanity’s food supply, 1/3rd of Earth’s carbon reservoir UNCCD report points way to restore, better manage rangelands, urges protection of pastoralismBonn/Ulaanbaatar – Degradation of Earth’s extensive, often immense natural pastures and other rangelands due to overuse, misuse, climate change and biodiversity loss poses a severe threat to humanity’s food supply and the wellbeing or survival of billions of people, the UN warns in a stark report today.Authors of the Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists, launched in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), say up to 50 per cent of rangelands are degraded.Symptoms of the problem include diminished soil fertility and nutrients, erosion, salinization, alkalinization, and soil compaction inhibiting plant growth, all of which contribute to drought, precipitation fluctuations, and biodiversity loss both above and below the ground.The problem is driven largely by converting pastures to cropland and other land use changes due to population growth and urban expansion, rapidly rising food, fibre and fuel demands, excessive grazing, abandonment (end of maintenance by pastoralists), and policies that incentivise overexploitation.What are rangelands?The rangelands category of Earth’s land cover consists mostly of the natural grasslands used by livestock and wild animals to graze and forage.They also include savannas, shrublands, wetlands, tundra and deserts. Added together, these lands constitute 54 per cent of all land cover, account for one sixth of global food production and represent nearly one third of the planet’s carbon reservoir.“When we cut down a forest, when we see a 100-year-old tree fall, it rightly evokes an emotional response in many of us. The conversion of ancient rangelands, on the other hand, happens in ‘silence’ and generates little public reaction,” says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.“Sadly, these expansive landscapes and the pastoralists and livestock breeders who depend on them, are usually under-appreciated,” Mr. Thiaw adds. “Despite numbering an estimated half a billion individuals worldwide, pastoralist communities are frequently overlooked, lack a voice in policy-making that directly affects their livelihoods, marginalised, and even often seen as outsiders in their own lands.”Mongolia Environment Minister H.E. Bat-Erdene Bat-Ulzii says:“As custodian of the largest grasslands in Eurasia, Mongolia has always been cautious in transforming rangelands. Mongolian traditions are built on the appreciation of resource limits, which defined mobility as a strategy, established shared responsibilities over the land, and set limits in consumption. We hope this report helps focus attention on rangelands and their many enormous values – cultural, environmental, and economic –  which cannot be overstated. If these rangelands cannot support these massive numbers of people, what alternatives can they turn to?”Mongolia will host the 17th UNCCD Conference of the Parties meeting in 2026, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), declared by the United Nations General Assembly on Mongolia’s initiative.Two billion people – small-scale herders, ranchers and farmers, often poor and marginalised – depend on healthy rangelands worldwide.Indeed, in many West African states, livestock production employs 80 per cent of the population. In Central Asia and Mongolia, 60 per cent of the land area is used as grazing rangelands, with livestock herding supporting nearly one third of the region’s population.Ironically, the report underlines, efforts to increase food security and productivity by converting rangelands to crop production in mostly arid regions have resulted in degraded land and lower agricultural yields.The report calls out “weak and ineffective governance,” “poorly implemented policies and regulations,” and “the lack of investment in rangeland communities and sustainable production models” for undermining rangelands.An innovative approachThe new report’s 60+ expert contributors from over 40 countries agree that past estimates of degraded rangeland worldwide – roughly 25 per cent – “significantly underestimates the actual loss of rangeland health and productivity” and could be as much as 50 per cent.Rangelands are often poorly understood and a lack of reliable data undermines the sustainable management of their immense value in food provisioning and climate regulation, the report warns.The report details an innovative conceptual approach that would enable policy-makers to stabilise, restore and manage rangelands. The new approach is backed by experience detailed in case studies from nearly every world region, drawing important lessons from successes and missteps of rangeland management.A core recommendation: protect pastoralism, a mobile way of life dating back millennia centred on the pasture-based production of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, camels, yaks, llamas or other domesticated herbivores, along with semi-domesticated species such as bison and reindeer. Says Mr. Thiaw: “From the tropics to the Arctic, pastoralism is a desirable default – and often the most sustainable – option for that should be incorporated into rangeland use planning.”The economic engine of many countriesRangelands are an important economic engine in many countries and define cultures. Home to one quarter of the world’s languages, they also host numerous World Heritage Sites and have shaped the value systems, customs and identities of pastoralists for thousands of years.The report includes detailed analyses of individual countries and regions.For example, livestock production accounts for 19 per cent of Ethiopia’s GDP, and four per cent of India’s. In Brazil – which produces 16 per cent of the world’s beef – fully one-third of agribusiness GDP is generated by cattle livestock.In Europe, many rangelands have given way to urbanisation, afforestation and renewable energy production.In the United States, large tracts of grassland have been converted to crops, while some Canadian grasslands have been made fragile by large-scale mining and infrastructure projects.  There are also many positive notes such as, for example, growing efforts in both countries to reintroduce bison – an animal of great cultural importance to indigenous peoples – to promote rangeland health and food security.World areas most acutely affected by rangelands degradation, ranked in descending order:Central Asia, China, MongoliaThe replacement of government management and oversight with privatisation and agricultural industrialization left herders abandoned and dependent on insufficient natural resources causing widespread degradation.The gradual restoration of traditional and community-based pastoralism is leading to critical advances in sustainable rangeland management.North Africa and Near EastThe impact of climate change in one of the world’s driest regions is pushing pastoralists into poverty and degrading the rangelands on which they rely.Updated traditional institutions, such as Agdals – reservoirs of fodder used to feed animals in periods of critical need and allowing for the regeneration of natural resources – and incipient supportive policies are improving the way rangelands are managed.Sahel and West AfricaConflict, power balance and border issues have interrupted livestock mobility leading to rangelands degradation.Unified policies, recognition of pastoralists’ rights and cross-border agreements are reestablishing mobility for animal herders, crucial for landscape restoration.South AmericaClimatic change, deforestation linked to industrialised agriculture and extractive activities, and land use conversion are South America’s main drivers of rangeland degradation.Multifunctionality and diversity of pastoralist systems hold the key for restoring some of the most interesting rangelands in the world, including the Pampa, the Cerrado and Caatinga savannahs, and the Puno Andean systems.East AfricaMigration and forced displacement caused by competing uses of land (such as hunting, tourism, etc), are evicting pastoralists from their traditional lands, causing unanticipated degradation consequences.Women-led initiatives and improved land rights are securing pastoralists’ livelihoods, protecting biodiversity, and safeguarding the ecosystem services provided by rangelands.North AmericaThe degradation of ancient grasslands and dry rangelands threatens the biodiversity of iconic North American ecosystems such as the tall-grass prairies or the southern deserts.The incorporation of indigenous people to rangeland governance is a clear step to help recover these historic landscapes.EuropePolicies favouring industrial farming over pastoralism and misguided incentives are causing rangelands and other open ecosystems to be abandoned and degraded.Political and economic support, including legal recognition and differentiation, can turn the tide and help address critical environmental crises such as the rising frequency and intensity of wildfires and climate change.South Africa and AustraliaAfforestation, mining, and the conversion of rangelands to other uses are causing the degradation and loss of rangelands.The co-creation of knowledge by producers and researchers, and respect for and use of traditional wisdom held by indigenous communities, open new paths for restoring and protecting rangelands.Paradigm shiftHalting the deterioration requires a paradigm shift in management at every level – from grassroots to global, the report concludes.Pedro Maria Herrera Calvo, the report’s lead author, says: “The meaningful participation of all stakeholders is key to responsible rangeland governance, which fosters collective action, improves access to land and integrates traditional knowledge and practical skills”.Achieving “land degradation neutrality” (Sustainable Development Goal 15.3) – balancing the amount and quality of healthy land to support ecosystem services and food security – also requires cross-border cooperation. Pastoralists with generations of experience in achieving life in balance with these ecosystems should help inform this process at every step, from planning to decision-making to governance, the report noted. Solutions must be tailored to the characteristics and dynamics of rangelands, which vary widely from arid to sub-humid environments, as seen in West Africa, India or South America.The report notes that traditional assessment methods often undervalue the real economic contribution of rangelands and pastoralism, highlighting the need for the innovative approach recommended.Among key recommendations:Integrated climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies with sustainable rangeland management plans to increase carbon sequestration and storage while boosting the resilience of pastoralist and rangeland communitiesAvoid or reduce rangeland conversion and other land use changes that diminish the diversity and multifunctionality of rangelands, especially on indigenous and communal landsDesign and adopt rangeland conservation measures, within and outside protected areas, that support biodiversity above and below ground while boosting the health, productivity, and resilience of extensive livestock production systemsAdopt and support pastoralism-based strategies and practices that help mitigate harms to rangeland health, such as climate change, overgrazing, soil erosion, invasive species, drought, and wildfiresPromote supportive policies, full people’s participation and flexible management and governance systems to boost the services that rangelands and pastoralists provide  to the whole society.ADDITIONAL KEY FIGURES80 million sq. km: Area of the world’s terrestrial surface covered by rangelands (over 54 per cent)9.5 million sq. km: Protected rangelands worldwide (12 per cent)67 million sq. km (45 per cent of Earth’s terrestrial surface): Rangelands’ area devoted to livestock production systems (84 per cent of rangelands), almost half of which are in drylands.  Livestock provide food security and generate income for the majority of the 1.2 billion people in developing countries living under the poverty threshold1 billion: animals across more than 100 countries maintained by pastoralists, supporting 200 million households while providing about 10 per cent of world meat supply, as well as dairy, wool and leather products33 per cent: global biodiversity hotspots found in rangelands24 per cent: proportion of world languages found in rangelands5,000 years ago: When pastoralism first emerged as a land-use system in sub-Saharan AfricaREGIONAL FACTS & FIGURESOver 25 per cent and 10 per cent: Supply of world beef and milk, respectively, provided by Latin America’s cattle industryOver 25 per cent: GDP of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad attributed to livestock productionOver 50 per cent: land in the Middle East and North Africa regions deemed degraded (25 per cent of arable land)60 per cent: area of Central Asia and Mongolia used as grazing rangelands, with livestock herding supporting nearly one third of the region’s population40 per cent: area of China covered by pastoral lands. (Notably, the country’s livestock population tripled between 1980 and 2010 to 441 million livestock units)308 million hectares: area of the contiguous United States covered by rangelands, 31 per cent of the country’s total land area, with ~55 per cent of rangelands privately ownedAdditional comments“Imbalance between the supply of and demand for animal forage lands leads to overgrazing, invasive species, and the increased risk of drought and wildfires – all of which accelerate desertification and land degradation trends around the world.”“We must translate our shared aspirations into concrete actions - stopping indiscriminate conversion of rangelands into unsuitable land uses, advocating for policies that support sustainable land management, investing in research that enhances our understanding of rangelands and pastoralism, empowering pastoralist communities to preserve their sustainable practices while also gaining tools to thrive in a changing world, and supporting all stakeholders, especially pastoralists, to implement measures that effectively thwart further degradation and preserve our land, our communities, and our cultures.”-       Maryam Niamir-Fuller, Co-Chair, International Support Group for the UN’s International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists – 2026"For the sake of future generations and economic stability, we need to improve awareness of and safeguard the immense value of rangelands. Due to their dynamic nature, predicting the consequences of rangelands degradation on economics, ecology, and societies is challenging. Managers require authoritative insights into the response of rangelands to different disturbances and management approaches, including policy tools that better capture the broad social importance of rangelands."-       Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility “More than half of the world’s land mass is rangeland – and yet these landscapes and the people who inhabit and manage them have been largely neglected. They are a main source of food and feed for humanity, and yet they are also the world economy’s dumping ground.  It is time to shift perspective – from ‘a rangeland problem’ to ‘a sustainable rangeland solution’.”-       UN International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP) Working Group“Pastoralists produce food in the world’s harshest environments, and pastoral production supports the livelihoods of rural populations on almost half of the world’s land. They have traditionally suffered from poor understanding, marginalisation, and exclusion from dialogue. We need to bring together pastoralists and the main actors working with them to join forces and create the synergies for dialogue and pastoralist development.”- UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) “To have any chance of meeting global biodiversity, climate and food security goals, we simply cannot afford to lose any more of our rangelands, grasslands and savannahs. Our planet suffers from their ongoing conversion, as do the pastoralists who depend on them for their livelihoods, and all those who rely on them for food, water and other vital ecosystem services. The Global Land Outlook reinforces that too little political attention or finance is invested in protecting and restoring these critical ecosystems. National and sub-national authorities must take place-based action to safeguard and improve the health and productivity of rangelands, grasslands and savannahs – to benefit people and planet.” - Joao Campari, Global Food Practice Leader, WWF "The rangelands of the world sustain two billion small-scale herders, ranchers and farmers. They are a source of food and feed to the world, and their ecology contributes to biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Resilient as they are, today pastoral communities face compounding challenges where land degradation, driven by climate variability, poses a serious threat to both production and economic growth. Solutions with the full participation of pastoralists and flexible management and governance systems to boost the services that rangelands and pastoralists provide will benefit everyone. This report underscores the need for ongoing dialogue and actionable measures that can propel resilience and prosperity for pastoral communities across the world." - Midori Paxton, Nature Hub Director, United Nations Development Programme* * * * *About 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.https://unccd.intAbout the International Year of Rangelands and PastoralistsOn 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.infoMedia contacts:Fragkiska Megaloudi, fmegaloudi@unccd.int; press@unccd.intXenya Scanlon, Chief of Communications, xscanlon@unccd.intTerry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), tc@tca.tcPhotos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gff9kgOoUwCvcrMSw03GW2paDXdIvi7y, video: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c5f3zdfvhqof9fs8tkmqs/Grasslands-Raw-Footage-for-MEDIA.mp4?rlkey=b4m572weemnhpnppgd9u6n0vb&e=1&dl=0

On 17 May, one month before the Desertification and Drought Day 2024, UNCCD Goodwill Ambassadors Ricky Kej and Inna Modja released the new Her Land anthem to support land rights for women across the world. They are among the key activists and influencers that work with UNCCD to spearhead the campaign #HerLand and mobilize support to secure land rights for women and girls across the world. When land is degraded women and girls are impacted first and most. They are disproportionately affected by poverty, hunger, displacement and violence. And they have minimal control over land itself or decisions about how to manage it. Although women produce half the world’s food, they own less than one-fifth of land worldwide and make up the majority of the world’s hungry.  But it doesn’t have to be this way. When land rights are secured, we have seen women and girls increase yields, restore land, and build resilience to drought. Listen to the song, get inspired and join our call to action for Her Land, Her Rights!