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In northern Colombia, snow-capped peaks tower more than 5,700 metres above the Caribbean Sea. This is the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve deemed the most irreplaceable site in the world for threatened species.Much more than a sight to behold, the range is the prime water tower for 1.8 million people, a biodiversity hotspot in a country that ranks second globally in species richness and a territory of deep spiritual significance for the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples. For them, it is Gonawindúa, or the ‘Heart of the world.’ This landscape of biocultural importance illustrates the vital role sacred natural sites around the world play in conservation, sustainable use and restoration of the land. That is particularly true for the Sierra Nevada, a land scarred by decades of conflict, charcoal mining, unsustainable agriculture and urban sprawl. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a major water tower in northern ColombiaIn response to these pressures, communities have joined forces to protect and revive their land —a testament to the indelible links between the country’s 1.9 million Indigenous people, belonging to around 100 ethnic groups, and their ancestral territories.The Heart of the World Programme, recently launched by four Indigenous organizations with support from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, looks to heal the land —including its soils, water resources and biodiversity— drawing on the best of ancestral knowledge and science. In upholding the cultural and spiritual integrity of their territory, home to nearly 350 sacred sites, the communities are also restoring vital ecosystem services like water provision for downstream populations.Arhuaco community in Serra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia“Just as the human body heals itself, the Earth can also recover as long as we stop harming it,” says environmental coordinator of the Tayrona Indigenous Confederation Dwirunney Torres. The programme, he says, has allocated 70 percent of the territory to natural regeneration and the rest to ensuring food sovereignty and agroecological ventures through 2065. The compass for the initiative is the Law of Origin, a set of ancestral principles that governs the lives of Indigenous communities and provides the basis for sustainable land use planning and land management. Its ultimate goal is achieving harmony between humans and the natural and spiritual worlds, which are seen as one.Nature-based solutionsIndigenous people in the Sierra Nevada understand the link between healthy lands and the wellbeing of communities. As a result, they are taking action to protect and restore the land to ensure the availability of clean water, nutritious food and vibrant ecosystems for generations to come. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, northern ColombiaInterventions range from acquiring land of cultural and environmental significance to protect it, to collecting and propagating the seeds of native species adapted to changing climatic conditions, to ensuring that degraded lands and ecosystems are allowed to regenerate. Other measures involve establishing living fences around water springs.According to the Heart of the World Programme, reconnecting and protecting the string of sacred natural sites that delimit the territory —known as the Línea Negra, or ‘Black Line’— is the main and most effective strategy to heal the land: “Recovering and inhabiting the sacred sites is important, since the mere tenure of these spaces and the exercise of [Indigenous] self-government therein, guarantees their integral protection and natural regeneration (...).”Women play an important role in these efforts, both as technical experts and as bearers of traditional knowledge.  'Heart of the World Programme,' led by Indigenous communities “As Arhuaco women, as givers of life, we have a responsibility to care for our Mother Earth” says environmental engineer Gunkeiwia Daza. In her community, women oversee native plant nurseries that are used to revive forests —and to rekindle the memory of a land where nature and culture go hand in hand. For Gonawindúa communities, restoring the land is not a mere project, but a way to keep the Heart of the World beating. Their message, summed up by Dwirunney, is clear: the solution to the world’s environmental crises will not come from technical advances alone, but from a genuine respect for the Earth and its guardians.Photo : © José Ríos/UNIC Bogota/UNCCD

The launch of this 2,028-tree forest at Démé High School in Tsévié is part of global celebrations for the Desertification and Drought Day, observed on June 17. This year’s theme is: “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities” The initiative is led in partnership with the NGO APEVIA, supported by the Togolese government and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

The UNCCD Secretariat invites accredited civil society organizations to nominate one candidate to the Science–Policy Interface (SPI). The elected nominee will serve as alternate CSO observer for 2025-2026, supporting Manon Albagnac, and will become full CSO observer for 2027-2028. The SPI supplies policy-relevant science on desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD), and in 2025-2026 will steer the third Global Land Outlook and pilot fast-track assessments.Nominees must demonstrate DLDD expertise; experience at science–policy interfaces and in translating scientific, local and Indigenous knowledge for civil society and policy makers; familiarity with UNCCD procedures; fluent English and reliable internet access. The observer is expected to uphold SPI principles, participate in meetings, contribute to the work programme, relay information between the SPI and CSOs, and promote SPI outputs. Service is voluntary, but nominees must secure written employer support for the time and effort required.To nominate, CSOs must email cso@unccd.int by 24:00 CEST on 28 July 2025 with a completed application, the candidate’s two-page English CV, a nomination letter from the accredited CSO describing its mandate and governance, and an employer commitment letter. All valid nominations will be reviewed by the CSO Panel, accredited CSOs will then vote between 11 and 28 July 2025, and results will be posted on the UNCCD website and CSO Google Group. The full call text and the application form—are available in the right-hand side menu.

Inclusive land tenure governance and ensuring that human and legitimate land rights are respected and safeguarded is vital for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). Without accessible and transparent grievance and accountability mechanisms, negative social, economic or environmental impacts may undermine efforts to achieve LDN and other development goals, especially at the local level. Decision 28/COP.16 of the UNCCD recognized the importance of accountability and grievance mechanisms in addressing land tenure issues. It called for the Secretariat and the Global Mechanism to enhance awareness of existing mechanisms, ensuring the widest possible reach among stakeholders.In response, the UNCCD-FAO Initiative on land tenure is developing a Compendium of accountability and grievance mechanisms related to land tenure to raise awareness on the diverse range of existing mechanisms, highlighting best practices in formal, informal and customary systems used across various levels — from local, national, regional to international — around the world.Call for submissionsTo support this initiative, the UNCCD and FAO are seeking case studies, reports, policy briefs, guidelines or any other written materials related to accountability, grievance or dispute resolution mechanisms at the local, municipal, provincial and national levels.These can include state-based judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, non-state-based mechanisms – customary, traditional, CSO-led or local mechanisms – regional or international mechanisms, business-led mechanisms and any other innovative and hybrid mechanisms.The submission must clearly outline:Relevance to land tenure and desertification, land degradation and droughtType of grievance or alternative dispute resolution mechanismInclusivity, accessibility and affordabilityEffectiveness and impactLong-term viability and sustainabilityHow to contributeDownload and fill out the submission form from the menu on the right. The deadline for initial submissions is 30 September 2025. You will receive a confirmation that your submission has been received. The submissions will be screened based the completeness and quality of the information provided, and the criteria above. A submission does not mean a guaranteed inclusion in the Compendium. Please to sure to provide your contact information for any follow-up. Your contribution will help shape a global resource that promotes the adoption of inclusive, accessible and transparent grievance and accountability mechanisms as a means to achieving LDN and other land restoration goals.

With nearly  80 events in over 50 countries, this year’s living map of restoration and resilience stretched across five continents—through seedling-lined schoolyards, packed football pitches and sunset-lit coastlines—bringing land back to life. In Parakou, Benin, pupils became “Forest Guards,” lining their schoolyard with rows of acacia and cheering for every watered sapling. In Garoua, Cameroon, high-schoolers pieced together a hidden-word “Sustainability Fresco,” pledging to swap single-use plastics for reusable bowls and bottles. In Lome, Togo, passion for sport sprouted hope when UNCCD Sport4Land Champion Naomi Akakpo led 200 teens on a “Race to Plant 2 028 Trees,” pausing just long enough to tuck each seedling into the soil—one tree for every Olympic year up to Los Angeles 2028. In Lagos, Nigeria fellow Champion William Troost-Ekong turned every goal of his charity match into funding for drought-resilient nurseries, greening both the pitch and the planet.  India brought a household twist: Land for Life laureate Shyam Sunder Jyani led a “Plastic-Free Kitchen” drive, replacing plastic tea strainers with metal or natural-fiber ones to keep microplastics out of the soil. From island coasts to arid heartlands, communities rallied to mark the day. Volunteers planted mangroves beside flamingo-filled lagoons in Mumbai while pop-up bands kept up the “fly-sustainable” rhythm.  Across the equator, Namibia’s students at the NamTip Winter School measured encroaching thornbush and brainstormed ways to bring grasslands back. In Mandalgovi, Mongolia’s Youth4Land Forum combined herding games with virtual-reality dunes, proving that traditional husbandry and tech savvy can share a learning space under the same felt roof. Europe and Asia stirred the senses. Praia, Cape Verde blended morna folk music with mangrove talks, while in France visitors to Paris’s Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil sipped fonio mocktails and sampled millet sauces, discovering how Sahelian drylands nourish both soil and palate. In Spain, Madrid’s Casa Árabe pulsed with poems celebrating the rebirth of the soil once lost to land degradation, and in Yinchuan, China’s national observance filled museums with hands-on displays of the Three-North Shelterbelt and desert-art workshops, inviting children to recite plant names in Mandarin, Arabic and English.  Near Los Angeles, USA volunteers at Arcadia Eco-home harvested compost by lamplight, following this year’s rallying call: “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities.”  The theme echoed across cultures and continents—braiding science, tradition, and community into a single green thread of drought-resilient hope. 

由联合国防治荒漠化公约（UNCCD）与美国国家干旱缓解中心（NDMC）联合发布 权威分析详细介绍2023-2025年全球范围内 粮食、水资源和能源危机以及人道主义灾难 一份联合国支持的最新报告今日发出警示：自2023年以来，受气候变化及对土地与水资源的持续压力推动，全球发生了若干次有史料记载以来最广泛、最具破坏性的干旱事件。 这份标题为《2023–2025年全球干旱热点》的报告，由美国国家干旱缓解中心（NDMC）与《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）联合撰写，并获得国际抗旱联盟（IDRA）的支持，全面呈现了干旱如何加剧贫困、饥饿、能源不安全和生态系统崩溃。 UNCCD执行秘书易卜拉欣·蒂奥表示：“干旱是一名沉默的杀手。它悄然袭来，抽干资源，以缓慢却毁灭性的方式摧残生命，造成深刻而持久的伤痕。” 蒂奥补充说道：“干旱已不再是遥不可及的威胁。它正在我们眼前加剧，并迫切需要全球携手应对。当能源、粮食和水资源三重危机同时爆发，社会结构就会开始解体。而这是我们必须为之做好准备的新常态” 报告合著者、NDMC中心主任马克·斯沃博达博士指出：“这绝非一次普通的干旱，而是一场缓慢蔓延的全球性灾难，我有生以来见过最严重的一次。报告凸显出，对干旱如何影响人类生命、生计以及我们赖以生存的生态系统健康状况进行系统性监测的重要性与紧迫性。” 斯沃博达博士还表示：“地中海国家就像‘矿井中的金丝雀’，对所有现代经济体发出了早期预警。西班牙、摩洛哥和土耳其在持续干旱下为保障水、粮食和能源安全所经历的困境，为我们揭示了在全球变暖未受遏制的未来，水资源可能面临的严峻挑战。无论一个国家多么富裕或多么具备应对能力，都不应对此掉以轻心。” 危机正在蔓延 这份最新报告综合了数百个政府部门、科研机构和媒体渠道的信息，重点呈现了全球最严重干旱热点地区的灾情，其中包括非洲（索马里、埃塞俄比亚、津巴布韦、赞比亚、马拉维、博茨瓦纳、纳米比亚）、地中海地区（西班牙、摩洛哥、土耳其）、拉丁美洲（巴拿马、亚马逊流域）、东南亚及其他区域。 非洲： 东部和南部非洲超过9,000万人面临严重饥饿。一些地区正经历有史以来最严重的干旱。 干旱易发的南部非洲在2024年8月再次遭遇重大旱情，约六分之一人口（6,800万人）需要粮食援助。 埃塞俄比亚、津巴布韦、赞比亚和马拉维的玉米和小麦作物连续歉收。仅津巴布韦一国，2024年玉米作物产量同比骤降70%，玉米价格翻倍，9,000头牛因饥渴而亡。 索马里政府估算，仅2022年就有4.3万人死于干旱引发的饥饿。截至2025年初，全国四分之一人口——约440万人，面临危机级别的粮食不安全状况，其中78.4万人的粮食不安全状况预计将达到紧急级别。 赞比亚爆发了全球最严重的能源危机之一。2024年4月赞比西河水量跌至其长期平均值的20%，全国最大的水电站卡里巴大坝发电能力仅为7%，导致最长每天21小时的停电，医院、面包坊和工厂被迫停工。 地中海地区： 西班牙：水资源短缺严重影响农业、旅游业和居民用水。到2023年9月，连续两年干旱加上创纪录的高温导致橄榄产量下降50%，全国橄榄油价格翻倍。 摩洛哥：相比2016年，2025年全国羊群数量减少38%。摩洛哥王室发出呼吁，建议取消古尔邦节传统的祭祀宰牲活动。 土耳其：干旱加速地下水枯竭，诱发地陷，不仅威胁居民和基础设施安全，也永久削弱了含水层的蓄水能力。 拉丁美洲： 亚马逊流域：2023和2024年，河流水位创历史新低，导致大量鱼类和濒危的亚马逊河豚死亡，数十万人的饮水和交通受到严重干扰。随着毁林和火灾加剧，亚马逊正面临由“碳汇”转变为“碳源”的风险。 巴拿马运河：水位骤降导致航行量锐减超过三分之一（2023年10月至2024年1月期间，每日通过船只从38艘降至24艘），严重干扰全球贸易。由于面临数周延误，许多船只被迫选择更长、更昂贵的航线，例如改道苏伊士运河或南非臭名昭著的好望角航线，造成的连锁反应包括美国大豆出口放缓，英国超市报告水果和蔬菜供应短缺及价格上涨。 东南亚： 干旱扰乱了稻米、咖啡、糖等关键农产品的生产和供应链。2023至2024年间，泰国和印度的干旱导致供应短缺，使得美国市场糖及甜品价格上涨8.9%。 厄尔尼诺与气候变化的“完美风暴” 2023–2024年厄尔尼诺现象进一步放大了气候变化带来的严峻影响，在全球主要农业与生态区引发严重旱情。在饱受气温上升、人口压力和基础设施脆弱等问题困扰的气候变化热点地区，干旱造成的影响最为严重。 报告合著者、NDMC助理主任及干旱影响研究员凯莉·史密斯博士说：“这是一场完美风暴。厄尔尼诺给气候变化火上浇油，让许多原本就十分脆弱的社会和生态系统超出了承受极限。” 报告合著者、NDMC干旱规划研究负责人科迪·克努森博士指出，经济合作与发展组织（OECD）近期估算，跟2000年相比，当前一次干旱事件所造成的经济成本至少翻了一倍，且预计到2035年这一数字将再上升35%到110%。 “干旱的连锁效应可能让区域性灾害变成全球性经济冲击。”她补充道，“当关键的水资源系统开始崩溃时，没有任何国家可以独善其身。” 妇女和儿童受灾最严重 妇女、儿童、老人、牧民、自给自足型农民以及慢性病患者最容易受到旱灾的影响，由此引发的健康风险包括霍乱爆发、严重营养不良、脱水和饮用受污染水源所导致的疾病。 报告特别指出，妇女和儿童受到的冲击尤为严重： 在东非，家庭因无力负担生计，被迫将女儿嫁人换取嫁妆，造成童婚数量翻倍上升。在埃塞俄比亚，尽管法律禁止童婚，干旱最严重的四个地区童婚发生率依然翻了一番。对许多家庭而言，女童出嫁既能带来嫁妆的收入，也能减轻口粮和及其他必须支出的负担。 在津巴布韦，许多学区的女童因饥饿、费用与缺乏卫生设施而被迫大量辍学。 在亚马逊地区，干旱彻底改变了偏远土著和农村社区的生活。在一些地区，亚马逊河水位降至有记录以来的最低点，导致居民（包括产妇）受困，整个城镇饮用水中断。 “我们看到，在这场干旱中，人们采取的应对手段越来越绝望无助。”报告首席作者、NDMC干旱影响研究员保拉·瓜斯特罗表示，“女童被迫辍学、为了生存早早嫁人；医院陷入停摆；家庭在干涸的河床上挖坑，只为找到一口被污染的水……这些，都是严重危机的警示信号。” “随着干旱日益加剧，全球必须携手保护最脆弱的人群和生态系统，并反思我们当前的用水方式在今日气候条件下是否可持续。” UNCCD副执行秘书安德丽娅·梅萨表示：“这份报告展示了在一个相互关联的世界中，干旱所造成的深远而广泛的影响：从东南亚和地中海地区基本商品如大米、食糖和食用油价格的连锁反应，到亚马逊地区由于河流水位降低造成的饮用水和食物获取困难，再到非洲数千万民众受到营养不良和流离失所的影响。” 梅萨补充道： “证据非常明确。我们必须紧急投资于可持续的土地和水资源管理、基于自然的解决方案、适应性作物以及综合性的公共政策，以增强我们对干旱的抵御能力——否则将面临日益严重的经济冲击、不稳定局势和被迫迁徙。 野生动物大量死亡 除了亚马逊干旱导致200头濒危河豚和数千条鱼死亡外，野生动物遭受的其他影响包括： 2023年8月至12月，津巴布韦万基国家公园的100头大象因饥饿和缺水死亡 2024年博茨瓦纳的河床干涸，河马被困。 2024年一些国家为了解决农村社区的粮食问题并防止过度放牧对生态系统造成破坏，对野生动物进行了猎杀（例如，津巴布韦和纳米比亚共猎杀200头大象）。 教训与建议 报告呼吁立即加大对干旱应对能力的投入，包括： 加强早期预警系统及对干旱和干旱影响的实时监测，包括导致粮食和水资源短缺的因素。 基于自然的解决方案，如流域修复和乡土作物利用。 韧性基础设施，包括离网能源和替代供水技术。 促进性别平等的适应措施，确保妇女和女孩不会进一步边缘化。 全球合作，特别是保护跨界河流流域和贸易路线。 “干旱不仅仅是一场天气事件，它完全可能演变为社会、经济乃至环境层面的紧急危机。”史密斯博士指出，“关键问题不是它是否会再次发生，而是下一次我们是否能做好更充分的准备去应对。” “干旱对资源匮乏人群的打击尤为沉重。我们可以立即行动起来，通过确保每个人都能获得食物、水源、教育、医疗和经济机会，来减轻未来干旱的影响。” “世界各国已经拥有足够的资源和知识，可以避免大规模灾难。”她补充道，“问题是，我们是否有足够的政治意愿和行动决心？” 来自国际抗旱联盟的声音 西班牙第三副总统兼生态转型和人口挑战部部长萨拉-阿格森强调了国际抗旱联盟（IDRA, 由塞内加尔和西班牙共同担任主席）在调动政治、技术和金融资本支持抗旱工作，特别是在支持最脆弱和受影响的人群方面："在塞维利亚举行的发展筹资问题国际会议上，我们呼吁进一步调动财政资源。我们所处的环境很复杂，资源有限，有多重紧迫性和许多相互竞争的优先事项，这意味着我们必须采取战略性的协作行动"。 塞内加尔环境与生态转型部部长达乌达-恩戈姆教授表示： "各种形式的干旱都是全球性挑战，需要共同应对。加强社区、国家和地区的能力必须成为国际合作的核心，以确保公平和可持续发展。我们不要忘记，投资于抗旱能力也是实现更大气候正义的决定性一步"。 关于报告 内布拉斯加大学林肯分校国家干旱缓解中心和《联合国防治荒漠化公约》力图全面记录近期干旱造成的影响，以期为全球政策提供参考，并帮助各类社会体系日后更好地应对干旱。 《2023–2025年全球干旱热点》报告参考了来自十余个国家和地区的250多篇经同行评审的研究、官方数据来源和新闻报道。* * * * * 数字速览 6,800 万：南部非洲需要粮食援助的人口 2,300 万：东非面临严重饥饿的人口 70%：2024年津巴布韦玉米减产幅度 21 小时：赞比亚每日停电的时长 200+：2023 年 9 月亚马逊河中因高温死亡的濒危河豚数量 38艘：干旱前巴拿马运河的日均通行船只数量；24艘：干旱期间的数量 50%：西班牙橄榄油产量下降幅度 100万+：2022 年索马里因干旱而流离失所的人数；2025 年初440 万人处于危机级别的饥饿状态；2025 年 4-6 月170 万儿童严重营养不良 70%： 2024 年赞比亚一侧维多利亚瀑布水位比 2023 年下降比例 100+：津巴布韦万吉国家公园因干旱死亡的大象头数 1,600+：图尔基耶因地下水枯竭而出现地陷的估计数量 近一倍：赞比亚玉米价格上涨幅度 228.4 亿欧元：西班牙在灌溉和水利基础设施方面的投资 关于UNCCD  《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）是全球土地的愿景和代言人。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。UNCCD不仅仅是一个由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。  关于 IDRA  国际抗旱联盟（IDRA）是首个致力于创造政治动力，筹集财政和技术资源，以实现具有抗旱韧性的未来的全球联盟。作为一个由 30 多个国家和 20 个机构组成、不断发展壮大的平台，IDRA汇集其成员力量，推进干旱防范的政策制定、行动落实和能力建设。联盟深知，我们应对干旱和气候变化的韧性，取决于土地的韧性。IDRA的工作方向与《联合国防治荒漠化公约》（UNCCD）的职责范围高度契合，并为其提供支持。IDRA秘书处设于UNCCD。更多信息请访问：https://idralliance.global.