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The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) welcomes the G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers Communiqué of 30 April 2024, which underlines the critical importance of addressing land degradation, desertification and soil health as fundamental elements of global sustainability efforts. UNCCD is particularly encouraged by the Italian G7 Presidency's launch of a voluntary Hub on Sustainable Land Use dedicated to promoting a collaborative and common approach to sustainable land use initiatives in Africa and in the Mediterranean Basin in support of achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). The Hub will focus on sustainable livelihoods, enhancement of food security and promotion of land-based employment, with special regard to communities on the frontlines of land degradation, including Indigenous Peoples, youth and women. The UNCCD commends the G7 for its commitment to immediate and tangible action, such as proposals to increase funding for sustainable land management by 40 per cent over the next decade and to advance scientific research on soil health. These initiatives are critical to addressing these crises and underscore the need for global cooperation and leadership in this crucial decade. "Integrating land and soil health into broader economic and social systems provides a pathway to sustainable, inclusive growth that leaves no one behind. This approach is essential to building resilience to the impacts of climate change and ensuring the health and productivity of the land on which all life depends,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. “The G7's recognition of land degradation and desertification as both environmental and socio-economic challenges dovetails seamlessly with the goals of the UNCCD. Our collaborative approach is critical to scaling up efforts to significantly reduce land degradation, with the goal of a 50 per cent reduction by 2040, as outlined in the G20 Global Land Initiative,” he added. Furthermore, G7's strong emphasis on the interlinked crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which have significant impacts on land and soil, is a decisive step forward ahead of the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the three Rio Conventions later this year, notably UNCCD COP16 to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2-13 December. “Welcoming the G7's vision, the UNCCD calls on all nations to strengthen their commitment to land health as an integral part of their environment and development agendas. UNCCD looks forward to further collaboration with the G7 and other international partners. Together, we want to implement the ambitious agendas set out in this Communiqué and ensure that land remains a cornerstone of global efforts to combat environmental degradation and promote sustainable development,” Thiaw concluded.

The conversion of land for agriculture to meet the demands for food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production is the leading driver of land-use change, with up to 40% of the world’s land already degraded. The global economy is projected to lose USD 23 trillion by 2050 to land degradation, desertification and drought.   Transforming our production and consumption patterns has enormous potential to reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss, as well as mitigate climate change. The economic benefits of land restoration are huge: half of the world’s GDP is dependent on nature, and every dollar invested in restoration generates up to USD 30 in benefits.   Despite its importance to economic activity, Sustainable Development Goal 15 Life on Land is one of the least financed SDGs. The private sector can play a critical role in achieving the goal to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. It can facilitate investments and technology for sustainable production as catalysts for a transition to sustainable land use and promote the expansion of value chains for sustainable consumption for healthy lands and people.   UNCCD made its mark at the Change Now Conference held from 25 to 27 March at the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris by bringing together innovators and investors from the private sector to find solutions that have the power to reverse and halt current land degradation trends.  The Business4Land strategy, presented by UNCCD during the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos, seeks to mobilize the power of the private sector to advance Land Degradation Neutrality by enabling transition from our current extractive and extensive land-use models towards sustainable land management.  At the Paris meeting, UNCCD launched discussions on innovative financing models, highlighting the role of private sector investments in land restoration projects and productivity enhancement business models. Highlighting the potential for carbon sequestration and natural-based solutions, the Convention showcased the economic viability of sustainable land-based projects to encourage entrepreneurs to seize untapped opportunities.   Inspired by the spirit of Gustave Eiffel who made possible what seemed impossible in his time, UNCCD invites the private sector to join the Business4Land initiative as a vehicle to leave a healthy legacy to future generations on our planet. —UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza During the Pioneers Dinner at the Eiffel Tower The Business4Land initiative unites private sector leaders to improve business practices, contribute to sustainable financing tools, explore leveraging mobile new technologies and best practices to support further land restoration investments. Companies are invited to join the Business4Land initiative and define voluntary actions and announce them at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024.   To join the Business4Land initiative, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B4L For more information, please contact: b4l@unccd,int 

E-learning course developed by the UNCCD in collaboration with FAO, GEO-LDN and GIZ, focused on remote sensing and data use in support of SDG 15, specifically Land Degradation Neutrality.

2024 年 2 月 21 日，德国波恩--今年 6 月 17 日的 “荒漠化和干旱日” 将重点关注土地管理的未来。每秒钟就有相当于四个足球场大小的健康土地退化，全球每年退化的土地总面积达 1 亿公顷。  为了阻止和扭转这些令人担忧的趋势，实现到 2030 年恢复 10 亿公顷退化土地的全球承诺，让当代人和后代人参与进来比以往任何时候都更加重要。今年荒漠化和干旱日的主题是 “为了土地联合起来： 我们的遗产，我们的未来”-- 旨在动员社会各界支持可持续的土地管理。  2024 年 6 月 17 日也将是总部设在波恩的《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）30 周年纪念日，该公约是关于土地管理和干旱的唯一具有法律约束力的国际条约，也是与气候变化和生物多样性并列的三项里约公约之一。  《防治荒漠化公约》执行秘书易卜拉欣•蒂奥说： “全球多达 40% 的土地已经退化，影响到全球将近一半以上的人口。然而，解决方案已经摆在桌面上。恢复土地可以帮助人们摆脱贫困，增强抵御气候变化的能力。现在是联合起来保护土地，向全球健康土地的减少和退化亮出红牌的时候了”。  由德意志联邦共和国政府主办的全球纪念活动将于2024年6月17日星期一在波恩联邦美术展览馆举行。  “全世界约有四分之一的人口受到干旱的影响。欧洲的土壤状况也在迅速恶化。保护土壤和土地是一项全球性挑战。今天，我们需要共同采取行动，让子孙后代能够获得重要的自然资源。只有拥有健康的土壤，我们才能养活人类，应对气候和生物多样性危机” 。--德国联邦经济合作与发展部国务秘书约亨•弗拉斯巴尔特（Jochen Flasbarth）。  这次全球纪念活动将汇聚来自世界各地的领导人、青年以及学术界、民间社会、体育界和娱乐界的杰出人士，展示各方联合起来保护土地的强烈愿望，为 将于2024 年 12 月在沙特阿拉伯利雅得举行的有史以来规模最大的联合国土地与干旱会议--《联合国防治荒漠化公约》第十六次缔约方大会拉开序幕。  5 月和 6 月期间，《联合国防治荒漠化公约》组织将与德国联邦经济合作与发展部（BMZ）以及合作伙伴波恩市共同启动 为了土地联合起来（ #UNITED4LAND） 公众宣传活动，并将在波恩市内和周边地区举办各种有关土地管理未来的活动。  波恩市市长卡嘉-多尔纳（Katja Dörner）女士说： “波恩是《联合国防治荒漠化公约》的所在地，也是一座正向 2035 年气候中和目标迈进的城市，共同思考和共同保护气候、自然和土地 是我们唯一的选择。土地关乎我们拥有的一切—而远不止是我们城市所在地的依托。土地是我们农作物生长的土壤、是动植物栖息的家园、是吸水的海绵、是开放的空间， 是凉爽的走廊，更是我们留给子孙后代的遗产” 。  世界各国正在行动，通过从电影放映到足球比赛，从植树到园艺竞赛等一系列教育、文化和体育活动来纪念荒漠化和干旱日。完整的活动计划可在以下网址查阅：https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day。  关于荒漠化和干旱日   1994 年联合国大会正式宣布（A/RES/49/115）荒漠化和干旱日，于每年6 月 17日举行纪念活动，其目标如下：     提高公众对荒漠化、土地退化和干旱（DLDD）相关问题的认识，   展示人类主导的预防荒漠化和扭转干旱加剧的解决方案，   在遭受严重干旱和/或荒漠化的国家加强《联合国防治荒漠化公约》的实施。  参加今年的庆祝活动：  了解有关今年荒漠化和干旱日的更多信息，请点击 ：/events/desertification-drought-day/2024  获取 #UNITED4LAND 活动材料，请点击：https://trello.com/b/VdJGolcp/desertification-and-drought-day-2024  了解世界各地荒漠化和干旱日活动的更多信息，请点击：https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024/events-around-world  如需在线参与波恩全球纪念活动，请联系： communications(at)unccd.int   更多信息，请联系：   《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）：Xenya Scanlon，+49 152 5454 0492，xscanlon@unccd.int 或 Yannis Umlauf, +49 178 285 8629 yumlauf@unccd.int，并抄送 press@unccd.int   德国联邦经济合作与发展部（BMZ）新闻处 ：电话：+49 (0)30 18 535-2451，电子邮件：presse@bmz.bund.de, www.bmz.de  

利雅得，2024 年 1 月 31 日--沙特阿拉伯王国与《联合国防治荒漠化公约》(UNCCD)签署了 一项协议，为 12 月 2 日至 13 日在利雅得举行的公约缔约方大会第十六届会议(COP16)铺平 了道路。 利雅得缔约方大会第十六届会议将是《联合国防治荒漠化公约》197 个缔约方有史以来规模最 大的一次会议。 这是中东地区是首次举办《荒漠化公约》缔约方会议，也将是沙特阿拉伯有 史以来主办的规模最大的一次多边会议。2024 年也是《联合国防治荒漠化公约》诞生 30 周 年，该公约是与气候变化和生物多样性并称为里约三公约的三大环境条约之一。 在今天于利雅得举行的签字仪式上，沙特环境、水和农业部长兼第十六届缔约方会议主席阿卜 杜勒-拉赫曼-阿卜杜勒穆赫森-法德利(Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley)说: "在沙特阿拉 伯王国主办此次会议(COP16)体现了英明领袖在国家、地区和国际层面对环境保护的承诺。 此外，沙特阿拉伯还启动了几个开创性的环保项目，如沙特绿色倡议和中东绿色倡议。 《联合国防治荒漠化公约》执行秘书易卜拉欣-蒂奥说: "今天，我们正在以惊人的速度丧失肥 沃的土地，危及全球稳定、繁荣和可持续性。利雅得缔约方大会第十六届会议必须成为标志性 的转折点，标志着我们对待最宝贵资源--土地和共同应对全球干旱紧急状况方式的转变。 根据《联合国防治荒漠化公约》的数据，全球多达 40% 的土地已经退化，影响了半数人类， 对我们的气候、生物多样性和生计造成了严重后果。如果目前的趋势继续下去，到 2030 年， 我们需要恢复 15 亿公顷的土地，才能实现一个土地退化零增长的世界。 干旱在世界各地发生的频率更高、强度更大--自 2000 年以来增加了 29%--其原因不仅在于气候 变化，还在于我们管理土地的方式。全球四分之一的人口已经受到干旱的影响，预计到 2050 年，全球四分之三的人口将面临缺水问题。 利雅得缔约方大会第十六届会议将重点动员世界各国政府、企业和社区加快土地恢复和抗旱行 动，以此作为粮食、水和能源安全的基石。 在为期两周的活动中，将举行高级别会议以及相关活动，包括性别问题核心小组和企业促进土 地论坛。 利雅得缔约方大会第十六届会议将作为在缺水最严重以及受荒漠化和土地退化影响最严重的地 区举行的缔约方大会，届时将展示沙特阿拉伯、中东地区及其他地区为实现以可持续土地管理 为基础的绿色转型所做的努力。 更多信息，请联系 Wael A Bushah，沙特阿拉伯王国环境、水和农业部环境意识和能力提高司司长， Wbushah@mewa.gov.sa Xenya Scanlon，《联合国防治荒漠化公约》传播、对外关系和伙伴关系主管， xscanlon@unccd.int 《联合国防治荒漠化公约》新闻办公室， press@unccd.int, +49 228 815 2820, https://www.unccd.int/, @unccd #联合国防治荒漠化公约第十六届缔约方会议(UNCCDCOP16) 关于《联合国防治荒漠化公约》 《联合国防治荒漠化公约》(UNCCD)是全球的土地愿景和声音。我们将各国政府、科学家、 决策者、私营部门和社区团结在一个共同愿景和全球行动周围，为人类和地球的可持续发展恢 复和管理世界土地。《联合国防治荒漠化公约》不仅仅是一项由 197 个缔约方签署的国际条 约，它还是一项多边承诺，旨在减轻当今土地退化的影响，促进未来的土地管理，从而以公平 和包容的方式为所有人提供食物、水、住房和经济机会。

Following the “Call for Requests for Support to Assist Countries in Strengthening Land Degradation Neutrality Targets and Integrated Land Use Planning Frameworks” launched on May 12th, the UNCCD would like to thank all the countries that responded to the call. After a thorough evaluation of all applications against the established selection criteria, and taking also into consideration a balanced representation of countries at (sub)regional levels, the following 18 countries were selected for participation in the second phase of the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme (LDN TSP 2.0) and the related GEF Enabling Activity project “Integrating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into land use planning frameworks to strengthen national UNCCD enabling environments”: Argentina, Benin, Central African Republic, Georgia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Republic of Moldova, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia and Türkiye. Detailed information on the selection process is included in document ICCD/CRIC(21)8 to be presented at the upcoming 21st Session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention. The Secretariat and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD look forward to working closely with the 18 selected countries as they advance in transforming their land-based agendas and lead the way for the UNCCD community in this regard.