News & stories

Ahead of UNCCD COP15, the UNCCD Secretariat seeks to collect original and exceptional photos to showcase promising practices which demonstrate women’s leadership and innovation in adapting to land degradation, desertification and drought.  Efforts to combat and address land degradation, desertification, and droughts require a more thorough understanding of human rights and gender equality considerations. Numerous studies and experiences worldwide have confirmed that gender inequalities must be addressed as part of biodiversity conservation, land restoration, adaptation and mitigation to climate change, and efforts to transition to an inclusive and regenerative green economy, especially after the pandemic. Land degradation and desertification action can thus reinforce or exacerbate inequalities—or intentionally aim to overcome and transform them, for the resilience of all people. The UNCCD emphasizes that both men and women must be active participants at all levels in programs to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Resolving gender inequalities is not only a matter of “righting a wrong” but also a significant opportunity to make use of women’s often under-recognized abilities, knowledge, talents, and leadership.  Photos highlighting good practices that demonstrated role of women as agents of change for sustainable land management may be made by civil society organizations (national and international), indigenous peoples’ organizations, women organizations, foundations, UN entities and other relevant actors.A supporting narrative must also be submitted, explaining the promising practice featured in the photo, and outlining the impact of the initiative/project in terms of promoting women’s empowerment and/or gender equality in the context of land degradation, desertification, and drought. Deadline for applications is 18 April. You can find the application form on the right, under "Documents."

To our mothers, sisters and daughters – we honor your life-giving force, we salute your contribution to bringing about a more sustainable world, and above all we are inspired by your resilience in the face of tremendous adversity. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by desertification, land degradation and drought. This is not because they find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rather it is a result of traditions, customs, or religious practices that have not yet evolved to recognize and respect their legitimate human rights. As we face an unparalleled confluence of natural and human-induced crises, cultures and societies can no longer afford to disrespect or disregard women and girls’ role as primary caregivers and as educators as well as their contribution to household health and income, food and water security, and sustainable development. This recognition is important as we strive towards a more equitable and just society. However, it is not enough. On this International Women’s Day 2022, I am calling on governments and communities to welcome women and girls as equal partners and harness their knowledge and talent to address the existential challenges of today. An important first step is their full and meaningful participation in decision making and investments that will determine the quality of life on land for our children. Inclusive land restoration begins with reforming legal, regulatory, customary, and administrative frameworks to be gender responsive. Inclusive land restoration also means upholding women’s legitimate rights to access and control land resources – soil, water, and biodiversity. This opens doors to credit and finance, markets and networks, and training and extension services that improve family and community health and shared economic prosperity. On this Day, I reiterate my call to governments and communities to empower women and girls and recognize their legitimate human rights, including their right to own and manage land. This will lead the way for a prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future for them, and for all.

To shine the light on the critical role of women across the world in supporting sustainable land management (SLM) and the UNCCD implementation, we invite interviews, stories, pictures and videos from women of all backgrounds and ages, whose work as farmers, activists, politicians and scientists is related to SLM. The site http://www.womenandunccd.org presents the stories collected to date and your can submit yours there as well. We look forward to your submissions!  

As rich in culture, music and inspired people as the Sahel itself, the UNCCD event at Expo Dubai 2020 “Spotlight on Africa | Spotlighting the Sahel: Climate-Resilient Solutions towards achieving Food Security” marked a big step toward changing the world’s perception of the region. Rather than an area hindered by civil unrest and economic turmoil, the positive narrative of the Sahel’s showcases its potential: the abundance of natural resources, infinite deposits of renewable energy and the youngest population in the world. Along with a strong momentum for positive change, Sahel faces major development challenges, including the pressing need to adapt to changing climate and create opportunities for the new generation. In his opening remarks, the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw highlighted that the potential of the Sahel to overcome these hurdles lies in the abundant resources including vast landscapes waiting to be restored to productivity. Sahel’s natural endowments offer immense potential for economic diversification, value-chain development and livelihoods. And its population is the youngest in the world – a challenge that can be turned into an opportunity. — UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw The event at Dubai Expo placed youth, women and smallholder farmers, herders and social entrepreneurs at the center of the conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing the Sahel. It featured initiatives that are accelerating socio-economic growth and enabling shared prosperity in the Sahel, such as Great Green Wall, to find solutions to address food security and climate change in the Sahel, including in implementing the Agenda 2030. Reflecting on the progress of the Great Green Wall Initiative, the participants agreed that it has far surpassed its initial vision of planting trees, becoming a platform that translates positive thinking into actions. The restoration of 20 million hectares of land in the Sahel, creation of 350,000 jobs, training of 10 million people on sustainable ways to manage the land and water and subsequent mobilization of nearly 20 billion hectares to move forward has inspired action at the local level. Harnessing indigenous knowledge and creating diversified value chains have been emphasized as essential to supporting the future progress of the initiative. The event showcased successful green entrepreneurs, many of them young women, who are convinced that in the Sahel, all the opportunities the youth needs exist at home. From agroforestry to producing eco-friendly coffee alternatives, the Sahel is awaiting young hands to revive the land, mine its “green gold,” drive climate action and achieve zero hunger. Performances of Sahelian visual and music artists, including the Malian singer and UNCCD Land Ambassador Inna Modja, have also made the event very memorable. Inna shared what motivated her to travel along the Great Green Wall and meet with communities engaged in land restoration: “I am awed by the ambition of the project and what it can achieve. The Great Green Wall is the future. We sow the seeds in this lifetime, so that the future generations can reap the harvest.” The event was co-organized by UNCCD and the African Union in association with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. Learn more: Watch the recording Land and the Sustainable Development Goals Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality Great Green Wall Accelerator

This is a Call for Content by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - Capacity Development and Innovations Office (UNCCD-CDIO) for people to show the world the voices of the women. It is part of a new project being developed by the CDIO called “Women and the UNCCD". The UNCCD Secretariat invites women of the world to be part of the project, which aims inter alia to tell the stories of women’s tremendous contributions to the successful implementation of the Convention thus far. Whether you work on a farm, in a village, in a school, at the sub-regional, regional or international levels to help promote the message and implement the actions to Support Sustainable Land Management. You have a story to tell, and lessons to teach. The world is waiting to hear and to learn from you! The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification wants to give a face and a voice to all women who gave their hearts and souls to reverse desertification through the “Women’s Project”. If you are (or know) one of them, send us a video, an artwork, an essay, or audio telling your story! Show us how you work to combat desertification by including a description of yourself, together with a visual representation of your efforts. We look forward to hearing from you. On this year's, International women's day, we are releasing a new website. Check out this latest video by the amazing girls from St Vincent and the Grenadines to know more:   To follow the social media updates using the hashtag #womenandunccd  Eligibility of participants Participation in the Call is FREE! Participation in the Call means an agreement to the Call Rules. All entries must be original works produced by the participant. The UNCCD reserves the right to modify the original video such as, but not limited to include the corporative elements of the UNCCD or modify the length. Submissions must not include any endorsements of products or services, or any obscene, violent, racist, religious intolerance, or defamatory content.  Submission process Send your video to cdioprojects@unccd.int including the title of the video and your name and country. Stay tuned, your video will most likely be shown to the world soon.   Contact:  If participants have any questions or comments or if they need assistance, they should send an email to cdioprojects@unccd.int

Since its inception, the UNCCD has held a firm mandate on the involvement of women in policy planning and decision-making at the local, national, and regional levels. The Convention stresses the importance of ensuring the full participation of both men and women at all levels in programs to combat desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought.