Other meetings & events

The 77th session of the UN General Assembly UNGA 77 will open on Tuesday, 13 September 2022. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be Tuesday, 20 September 2022: https://www.un.org/en/ga/77/meetings/

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) is the professional Society of reference in the field of ecological restoration. It promotes the science, practice, and policy of ecological restoration to protect biodiversity, improve adaptation to climate change, mitigate its effects, and restore a healthy relationship between nature and society. For three decades, SER has given voice to this discipline and provided leadership in all aspects of its development. The European Chapter of the Society, acquaints hundreds of experts and organizational members in 37 countries, and has affiliated organizations in 6 of them. These are crucial times for ecological restoration in Europe and globally. Ecological restoration is essential to combat climate change, protect biodiversity and reverse desertification, and thus contribute to human wellbeing. Under the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, we can reverse the global environmental crisis, and give Anthropocene a chance. Yet, to obtain all the benefits that ecological restoration can provide and ensure a fair distribution of wealth, we must promote its practice and strive to increase the quality of restoration programs. Bridges between science, practice and policy must be built, based on scientific excellence, to better understand socio-ecological systems and their management. SERE2022 represents an excellent opportunity to foster efficient reciprocal exchanges between managers, decision and policymakers and the academia across Europe. It is also the place where experts from different restoration sectors (forests, wetlands, rivers, agroecosystems, marine areas, urban environments, extractive industries, etc.) have the unusual chance to sit together and learn from each other. There are many reasons to meet in Alicante, including high levels of biodiversity, long history of interactions between humans and nature, nice examples of socio-ecological co-evolution, the combination of land and sea, and the long history of actions to combat degradation and desertification. Last, but not least, the strong commitment of the government of the Region of Valencia and the Spanish government with ecological transition and ecological restoration. For one week, we will gather in Alicante to assess recent advances in the theory and practice of ecological restoration and discuss future priorities. We invite you to take full advantage of the many events that will be organized under the umbrella of SERE 2022 and contribute to build the European leadership in ecological restoration. The Conference will combine the advantages of in-person and online meetings, COVID 19 permitting. Sessions will be broadcasted in streaming for those that cannot attend in-person events. The conditions to access online sessions will be announced soon: https://puskesmaspucangsewu.com/      

UNCCD will have a prominent presence at this year's World Water Week in Stockholm, which takes place under the theme "Seeing the unseen: the value of water". We invite you to join us for the following events: 26-27 August: Meeting of the Integrated Drought Management Programme 29 August: Drought workshop in Uppsala 31 August: Co-implementing integrated drought management: the next decade 01 September: Regenerative agriculture to value water and soils More info on how to join online

Calling all creatives! Together with CARI NGO and the Observatorie du Sahara et du Sahel we are launching an international press cartoon contest 'Land and Drought.' Here's your chance to show the world what healthy land means for climate regulation, ecosystem protection, biodiversity and food security. Winners will receive a cash prize and an opportunity to join the Desertif'Actions Summit in Montpellier, France in October 2022. Deadline to submit your artwork is 20 August 2022. More info...   

At the 14th Conference of the Parties, Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification adopted the landmark decision on land tenure. The decision links the principles on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land to national level activities to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The recognition of legitimate land tenure rights is pivotal to achieve LDN, as secure land rights (i) provide incentives to invest in LDN and ecosystem restoration, (ii) are a safeguard to avoid rights violations in the context of LDN activities, and (iii) create a safe space for land users to innovate sustainable land management practices that build on local, traditional knowledge. Further, the recognition of legitimate land tenure rights is a key avenue to achieve gender equality, as women tend to have less secure rights to land and other natural resources than men. Securing women’s land rights creates incentives for LDN and ecosystem restoration and contributes to more gender equal societies. At the side event, member States will report on the progress made in implementing decision 26/COP.14 at the national level. It will conclude by outlining key next steps for the further recognition of legitimate land tenure rights for LDN. Emphasizing the pivotal role of LDN and sustainable land management and of legitimate land tenure rights to achieve LDN and sustainable land management for food security, gender equality, biodiversity protection, and land-based climate change mitigation and adaption, the session speaks to the integrated, indivisible, and interlinked nature of the Goals. Simultaneous interpretation Engligh/French and English/Spanish will be provided. Register here. Habrá interpretación simultánea al inglés/francés y al inglés/español. Une interprétation simultanée anglais/français et anglais/espagnol sera assurée.