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At least 90 countries have already set voluntary national targets to restore more than 450 million hectares of land under UNCCD – the largest global restoration initiative and a significant milestone for the Convention. But where is the land that is being restored? How many people will benefit from land restoration? What social, economic and environmental gains will communities in these areas receive from all this work?

Statement by UNCCD Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw This year International Women’s Day celebrates the theme ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world’. After a year of unprecedented impacts from the pandemic, it’s clear that women globally have been disproportionately affected by the health, social and economic repercussions of COVID-19. With economies beset by lockdowns, and fundamental disruption to established international, regional and local trade patterns, women’s reliance on land, and their frequently weak legal protection and social status, makes them even more vulnerable to land degradation in a COVID-19 world. These stark facts make clear the importance of strong support to women in implementing the UNCCD mandate. Equal access to land, and security of land tenure, are fundamental to inclusive sustainable development. Even before the pandemic, in more than half of the world’s countries, laws or customs hindered women’s ownership or access to land. Globally, barely 10 per cent of agricultural land is held by women. Equality of land tenure offers both a safety net and a post-pandemic economic launch pad for millions of the most vulnerable women. It delivers tangible and meaningful benefits – poverty reduction, food security and gender equality. Secure tenure also permits land to be used as collateral, accessing credit, markets, and income opportunities, and bringing better education and health care within reach. Women and girls must be at the heart of action on land tenure. Promoting gender equality enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of environmental interventions. The UNCCD Gender Action Plan represents an ambitious step towards gender equality in the implementation of the Convention, and we must continue unwavering support for efforts by women and girls to strive for equality, build resilient post-pandemic economies and bolster thriving communities. As we seek to build a better world post COVID-19, let’s celebrate women who provide leadership to communities that are restoring degraded land. Let’s honor these women, who can lead humanity to a better and more equal post-COVID-19 future. Guided by all these women, the UNCCD mandate seeks the same goal. Read more: UNCCD Gender Action Plan UNCCD and land tenure Photo (c) Michael Martin

UNCCD relies on the input of expert women in implementing its mandate. In particular, the members of our Science-Policy interface (SPI), which guides the application of world-leading science into meaningful and impactful policy that we, our Parties, and our partners can use on the ground. The SPI includes female specialists in desertification, forestry, soil, dust-modelling and weather extremes. Guided by all these women, the UNCCD continues to strive for a better, more equal world. During the month of March, we are featuring them here: Nichole Barger is an ecologist who works in partnership with diverse entities in the US on land degradation and restoration issues such as the ecological risks of fire mitigation treatments, historical drivers and biogeochemical responses to woody plant encroachment, forest decline and regeneration, and more recently restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems with a specific focus on soil ecology Anna Luise is working in Romeat ISPRA – Institute for the Environmental Protection and Research (Italy’s environmental agency) on issues related to sustainable development at local, national and global level, the assessment of the environmental damage, the monitoring, evaluation and governance issues related to sustainability issues, land degradation and desertification, the analysis of policies and the development of indicators, playing a role of technical support in decision and policymaking processes as well as in the negotiation within the UNCCD. She is Italy’s science and technology correspondent for the convention  Everlyne Nairesiae is a social scientist known for her contribution in coordinating and facilitating global networks, development of global methodologies and tools for  land governance, including monitoring of land in the SDGs and impact evaluation; research and analytical frameworks and strategies for mainstreaming gender in natural resource governance and management; and capacity development for governments, CSOs and other actors. Caroline King-Okumu's expertise includes work on institutional, policy and economic aspects of global environmental challenges with focus on land, water and climate-related issues in the global drylands, especially in Africa. She works with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology on international development issues and business cases for the environment. Katrin Ehlert is an environmental scientist with over eight years research and consultancy experience in the field of soil protection in the context of agricultural usages,  soil and water quality assessments and environmental impact studies. Katrin is part of tech support unit at the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) which works with stakeholders globally and on all levels to develop drought early warning systems and policies Karma Dema Dorji serves as the Programme Director of the National Soil Services Centre in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in Bhutan which works on sustainable aspects of soil and land management to achieve food security and protect the country’s pristine environment. As the national focal point for UNCCD, Ms. Dorji oversees the fulfillment of the Convention’s requirements, including the development of the national action program to combat land degradation and national reporting Marijana Kapović Solomun is a member of UNCCD Roster of experts, LDN national expert for Bosnia and Herzegovina and expert for the national drought management plan. Dr. Kapović Solomun has broad international and national experience in scientific projects, as leader or expert for soil, land degradation and forestry, who published significant number of scientific papers  Read more: UNCCD Science-Policy Interface

This year World Wildlife Day celebrates the theme ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’. Currently, up to 350 million people live within or close by forests, including some of our most ecologically diverse ecosystems.

Inna Modja is a Malian actress and singer who topped the charts across continents. She has appeared in the Great Green Wall documentary, making an extraordinary journey along this new world wonder. Inna actively engaged with communities involved in the visionary initiative and later said that during her trip from west to east of the Sahel, following the route of the Great Green Wall planted by surrounding communities, she witnessed first-hand the importance of land for a world at peace.  Women, young people and everyone can work the land and reap the benefits when the land remain productive. It is when land is degraded and depleted, that communities are forced to migrate or the conflicts over access to resources arise. Inna says that it is her hope that the Great Green Wall will continue to grow, allowing all who live around it to coexist in peace, health and safety. As a proud UNCCD Land Ambassador, Inna is among young people who are changing the narrative of the Sahel. Her music, energy, commitment and humanitarian work resonate with audiences worldwide. Read more: The Great Green Wall of Africa UNCCD Land Ambassadors  

Updated just in time for CRIC19, the UNCCD conference will be indispensable to the participants of the first-ever fully virtual gathering of the convention Parties in March.