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International negotiations on land degradation and drought are becoming increasingly complex — and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Yet many of the people expected to speak on behalf of their countries in these spaces often find themselves underprepared.

Media Advisory - 23rd Committee to Review the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) to convene in Panama City, 1-5 December 2025

On March 26, 2010, a massive dust storm rose from the exposed bed of the South Aral Sea and swept across southern Kazakhstan. Within hours, skies darkened, visibility collapsed and toxic dust blanketed towns and farmland. The storm carried more than just sand and silt—it spread salt, pesticides and heavy metals, the legacy of decades of environmental mismanagement. It disrupted transport, damaged crops and strained hospitals with respiratory cases—highlighting how land degradation can trigger public health emergencies and economic instability.This wasn’t an isolated event. Over the past two decades, sand and dust storms (SDS) in Kazakhstan have grown more frequent and intense, particularly across the Aral Sea Basin and the country’s southern and central regions. What were once seasonal disturbances are now recognized as chronic climate and land-use threats.Sand and dust storms—vast natural phenomena capable of transporting fine particles across borders and continents—pose grave risks to public health, agriculture, infrastructure and national development. They aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, damage crops and livestock and interrupt transport and trade. In Kazakhstan, these storms are primarily driven by land degradation, unsustainable farming, deforestation and climate change—a combination that continues to erode natural resilience.While SDS play a role in global ecological systems—such as fertilizing distant ecosystems like the Amazon—their local impact in Kazakhstan is urgent and deeply disruptive.The Changwon Initiative: Building resilience from the ground upIn response to the growing SDS threat, Kazakhstan turned to partnerships that combined local action with global expertise. One of the most influential has been the Changwon Initiative, launched under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as a key driver of global dryland restoration efforts.Between 2015 and 2017, the Changwon Initiative—through the Greening Drylands Partnership—helped Kazakhstan lay essential groundwork for SDS preparedness. Though originally aimed at enhancing drought resilience, the project quickly evolved to address overlapping environmental risks. In the Makhtaral and Shardara districts, the initiative strengthened early warning systems, raised awareness among farmers and herders and supported climate risk assessments. Over 140 sustainable land management practices were identified and promoted, including the restoration of 64 hectares of degraded dryland. These measures didn’t just address symptoms—they helped local communities build long-term resilience to future storms.Advancing forecasting and preparednessBuilding on earlier progress, Kazakhstan has significantly expanded its SDS forecasting and preparedness systems. In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization’s Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS), the country now uses integrated regional and global forecasting models that provide SDS predictions every three hours, with up to 72 hours of lead time.Improved forecasting helps farmers protect crops, health agencies prepare for respiratory surges and officials respond with faster, data-driven decisions. Kazakhstan’s active participation in the SDS-WAS Asia Regional Centre has also enhanced regional cooperation, particularly with China, Mongolia, Japan and Korea, through data exchange and collaborative research.From reactive to proactive: A shift in national strategyPerhaps the most transformative outcome has been the shift in national mindset—from reacting to each storm to anticipating and managing risk. SDS are now integrated into broader climate adaptation and sustainable land use policies and early warnings are reaching more rural communities.Farmers, local officials and frontline workers are increasingly adopting practical mitigation strategies—from planting vegetation that stabilizes soil, to modifying planting schedules based on storm forecasts.The Changwon Initiative’s contribution goes beyond project outcomes: it has helped embed environmental risk reduction into Kazakhstan’s long-term development planning.A Scalable example for the regionKazakhstan’s efforts show what’s possible when scientific forecasting, policy innovation and local action work in concert. While climate change and land degradation continue to fuel SDS across Central Asia, Kazakhstan is charting a course toward resilience. What began with emergency response—like that triggered by the 2010 dust storm—has evolved into a national model for proactive environmental management. With ongoing backing — including from the Changwon Initiative — Kazakhstan’s approach offers a practical, scalable model for other dryland countries. It shows that early warning, land restoration and local engagement are not only feasible but essential to safeguarding lives, livelihoods and development in vulnerable landscapes.

The UNCCD Data Dashboard is the first global tool to monitor land degradation based on information reported by countries.  Its latest update makes it easier to see how countries are responding to the crisis by bringing together, in one platform, the voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and actions submitted by governments. Until now, this information was scattered across many various reports.With support from the European Commission, the UNCCD secretariat created a system to gather and manage national commitments, including a map showing geospatial data from 2022 reports. The new public update means anyone can now search, filter and download this data to see what countries are doing to stop and reverse land degradation.The Dashboard’s first release showed just how severe the crisis is: every year between 2015 and 2019, the world lost at least 100 million hectares of healthy land — roughly the size of Egypt. But the Dashboard also shows success stories:  Botswana cut land degradation by more than half, while the Dominican Republic restored vast areas of farmland and watersheds.The new section on LDN targets adds to other UNCCD tools such as the Drought Toolbox, which helps countries to design drought policies and resilience strategies, and the Sand and Dust Storms Toolbox, which identifies storm sources, assess risks and design mitigation measures.By providing a clear, accessible overview of global progress, the updated Data Dashboard will support informed decision-making and facilitate more targeted discussions at CRIC 23 in Panama this December and at COP 17 in Mongolia next year, where parties will review implementation, raise ambition and shape the next phase of collective action. It will also strengthen collaboration and foster greater synergies with partners such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.Together, these tools and processes aim to accelerate global efforts toward restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030 — a goal still within reach if countries act swiftly and work together.

When Southern Africa experienced its third consecutive year of severe drought between 2015 and 2017, Bongani Simon Masuku — now Principal Secretary in Eswatini’s Ministry of Agriculture — saw firsthand how fragmented responses could deepen a crisis. As a longtime advocate for science-based policy and former Chair of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Committee on Science and Technology, Masuku recalls how the lack of coordination and shared learning left many countries struggling to respond effectively.Those hard lessons, nearly a decade old, laid the groundwork for more coordinated and inclusive approaches to drought management — culminating in a significant breakthrough at UNCCD COP16 in 2024.A turning point at COP16Officially launched at UNCCD COP16 in December 2024, the Communities of Learning and Practice on Drought Management (CLP) marked a step change in how countries approach drought.Supported under the Changwon Initiative, the CLP has grown into five regional and one global community: multilingual, interactive spaces for peer learning, co-creation and practical capacity-building.The CLP directly supports Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) goals and offers a space where policymakers, scientists, youth leaders and local actors share strategies, challenges and successes.Why it mattersOnce seen as sporadic disasters, droughts are becoming a chronic threat. Since 2000, their frequency and intensity have risen by 29 per cent — and by 2050, three out of four people could face their impacts.Yet solutions often remain locked in silos, out of reach for those on the front lines. The CLP breaks those silos by enabling real-time collaboration and cross-regional exchange.Masuku emphasized the importance of reaching all decision-makers:“Knowledge is power. A platform for sharing information is a powerful tool — especially when it reaches those who might otherwise be left out. With the right knowledge, you can make the right decisions.”A living knowledge networkBuilding on earlier regional knowledge-sharing efforts, the CLP has grown rapidly since its launch in late 2024, bringing together over 300 members from across sectors and regions.It has held regional workshops and case clinics tackling both technical and policy challenges. Five global online exchanges have drawn 687 participants worldwide.The platform has published more than 300 multilingual resources — ranging from technical guides to policy briefs — and sparked new partnerships, helping countries co-create tools and strategies.The network is also turning the UNCCD Drought Toolbox into a dynamic, user-driven resource, shaped by field realities and continuous feedback.Voices of changeThe platform isn’t just for governments and experts. It’s opening doors for the next generation of land and climate leaders. Juliet Grace Luwedde, Global Coordinator of the UNCCD Youth Caucus, sees the CLP as an inclusive gateway:“It’s a great place for young people to start learning and connecting — people who can answer their questions and help them grow. No question is too small. It’s also a fantastic resource for young negotiators to build confidence and find their voice.”Tools that drive actionOne of the CLP’s most powerful features is its close link to the Drought Toolbox — a suite of tools for assessing risk, monitoring drought and designing early warning systems.Through the platform, these tools are made more user-friendly and widely accessible. Interactive offerings — from expert clinics and regional competitions to self-paced learning — ensure these tools lead to action, not just information.Looking aheadAs climate stress intensifies, the need for coordinated drought management is growing rapidly. The CLP is expanding to include more countries — particularly in drought-prone regions like the Sahel and the Horn of Africa — while adapting its tools to fit national priorities.Rooted in the spirit of the Changwon Initiative, the CLP fosters innovation, strengthens partnerships andscales solutions that bridge local realities with global goals. Continued collaboration is helping position it as a vital global hub — connecting knowledge, building capacity anddriving action where it’s needed most. A movement rooted in practiceThis is more than a platform. It’s a movement — one that turns collective knowledge into shared resilience. At its core is a simple but powerful idea: investing in people, not just policies, is what ensures no voice is left behind.Sustained support through the Changwon Initiative has helped make that idea real — enabling communities once excluded from critical discussions to take the lead. Today, they are not just included — they are equipped, connected and shaping global solutions from the center.Photo: © ILRI/Stevie Mann

In Kyrgyzstan, where steep mountains and deep valleys define both the landscape and daily life, land degradation and drought are no longer distant threats — they’re reshaping everyday reality. These slow-onset crises erode not just soil and biodiversity, but the livelihoods and resilience of rural communities whose well-being depends on healthy land.Today, nearly 1.9 million people — or 35.5 per cent of the population — are directly exposed to land degradation. In 2019 alone, 1.83 million hectares of land were classified as degraded, accounting for nearly one-tenth of Kyrgyzstan’s total land area.While many countries face similar threats, Kyrgyzstan’s high-altitude terrain and dependence on pastoralism make it particularly vulnerable. In recent years, climate variability has intensified pressure on natural resources, disrupting crop yields, altering grazing patterns and straining water supplies across rural areas.Between 2018 and 2021, the Greening Drylands Partnership (GDP) launched a major effort to restore Kyrgyzstan’s fragile landscapes. It aimed to breathe new life into degraded ecosystems, protect biodiversity and help communities adapt to a changing climate. But with mounting deforestation, shrinking grasslands and escalating climate impacts, the challenge proved anything but simple.The Changwon Initiative: A driving force for land restorationThe Changwon Initiative — a flagship programme of the Korea Forest Service and the UNCCD — helped turn restoration from vision to reality. It became a regional catalyst for action, supporting land restoration not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Armenia and Mongolia.In Kyrgyzstan, the Changwon Initiative aligned restoration efforts with national environmental goals and long-term sustainability. It ensured that recovery initiatives were not isolated projects, but part of a broader, coordinated vision for change. By bringing together governments, non-governmental organizations and international partners, it laid the groundwork for meaningful, lasting action on the ground.Planting the seeds of changeFrom 2019 to 2022, one of the most impactful efforts under this partnership was a community-focused reforestation project supporting rural and forestry nurseries. The aim was both simple and ambitious: to plant trees, raise awareness and build skills that would last well beyond the project’s end.Four nurseries were established in the Chui and Talas regions, covering a total of eight hectares. They became home to a range of fruit and ornamental trees — not just to green the land, but to promote sustainable farming and land use.Farmers and forestry workers received practical training in nursery management, pest control and pruning — blending scientific techniques with local traditions.The project didn’t stop with adults. Twenty-four school-based nurseries were also created, inviting the next generation to become caretakers of the land. Young people across Kyrgyzstan engaged directly with their environment, taking part in reforestation — one sapling at a time.To expand impact beyond the project sites, a national UNCCD information center helped disseminate tools and insights across the country, while roundtables shaped new policy recommendations for sustainable land management.Tools for long-term restorationThe project went beyond planting trees. It provided communities with the tools to understand and protect their environment long after the initial phase ended. Risk assessment maps identified areas most vulnerable to land degradation. Restoration activities were aligned with national policies and embedded in the broader Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) framework.Most importantly, people were placed at the center — not just involved but empowered. From farmers to students, local communities became stewards of their own recovery.While these efforts planted the seeds of progress, scaling up to achieve nationwide transformation is the next frontier. Moving beyond pilot projects will require sustained investment, stronger institutions and continued commitment from both governments and civil society. Sharing lessons regionally — from Mongolia to Belarus — will be key to ensuring success beyond borders.In countries like Belarus, restoration projects are already entering their second phase. Kyrgyzstan now stands ready to do the same — the foundation is solid, the knowledge is growing and community engagement is real. What’s needed next is a renewed investment in people, supportive policies and the natural systems that sustain life.A growing legacyWith support from the Changwon Initiative, Kyrgyzstan has taken meaningful steps toward restoring its land — and its future. Skills have been strengthened, forests are returning and a new understanding is taking root: land restoration is not only possible, but essential.Through strong partnerships and a shared commitment, Kyrgyzstan is proving that degraded land can recover — and that when the land heals, so do the communities that depend on it. Healthier ecosystems, more resilient livelihoods and a renewed bond between people and nature — this isn’t just an ideal. It’s a future already beginning to take shape.