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To UNCCD focal points and representatives of the UN and observer organizations:Please be informed that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made available a dedicated platform to grant free visa entries to duly registered COP16 participants. Participants must apply using the following link https://www.unccdcop16.org/visa only after receiving the official letter generated by the COP16 online registration system confirming their participation in COP16.Participants will need to fill in the required information and will receive their respective visas via the email they used for the application. The COP16 visa will be valid for 3 months and will include a single entry only.For any further enquiries about visa arrangements to attend COP16 please contact visa(at)unccdcop16.orgOther arrangements for entering the country: No visa is required for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens.GCC residents, citizens of 66 countries and US, UK, Schengen visa holders can apply online or get a tourist visa on arrival. Information on eligibility and requirements is available at Visit Saudi official website.Requirements for a tourist visa (e-visa/on arrival):Valid for one yearStay up to 90 days per visitMultiple entry in the countryAccommodationThe host country has further made available a dedicated platform for COP16 participants to book their respective accommodations. For any additional information related to accommodation please contact cop16.accommodation(at)gl-events.com 

At World Water Week, a hard look at the notions that stand in the way of drought resilienceStockholm (Sweden), 2 September — Drought is on track to hitting three in four people globally by 2050. Around the world, scientists and practitioners have amassed a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to anticipate, prepare for, respond and adapt to drought. So what is standing in the way of more drought-resilient countries and communities?At an event co-convened by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) at World Water Week, held in Sweden from 25 to 29 August, experts from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the United Nations University (UNU) discussed how to elevate drought resilience beyond borders and sectors, upending preconceived notions on drought along the way. These are the 5 myths around drought experts wish to shatter:Myth 1: Drought is a poor farmers’ problem caused by the lack of rain Drought is a natural phenomenon, but the current global emergency is human-made, the result of poor land management and unbridled consumption, leading to water stress. Droughts are also becoming harsher and faster due to human-induced climate change. And although agriculture is being impacted by drought from the Southern Cone to the Mediterranean to the Horn of Africa, the effects are felt across sectors, starting with recent cuts in hydropower production in areas like northeastern Brazil, as pointed out by UNCCD Policy Officer and drought-resilience expert Daniel Tsegai.In the past weeks, droughts have forced the authorities of three Bolivian regions to close schools two weeks earlier as drought emptied reservoirs, posing a particular challenge for menstruating students; and 700 wild animals, including hippos and elephants, are being culled in Namibia's game parks to feed people in need as southern Africa battles its worst drought in a century, even as ecotourism is an important source of income for the region.Less water also causes major disruptions in transportation of people and goods —as seen in recent years from the Yangtze river in China to the Panama Canal, the Rhine in Germany and the Mississippi in the USA—, and drought fuels sand and dust storms, leading to air pollution and respiratory infectious diseases. Also, gender inequality means that women and children are disproportionately affected by the effects of drought.“Bottom line is: the cascading impacts of drought can touch all regions and sectors, including energy production, transportation, manufacturing, tourism, education and physical and mental health,” said Tsegai. “This means we need an inclusive and all-of-government, all-of-society approach to drought.”Myth 2: Droughts are crises to be responded to “We are not planning for drought. We are not appreciating the fact that the water bankruptcy situation we are in is no longer a simple anomaly, but a reality with which we need to adapt to,” said the Director of the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Kaveh Madani. “Our response to drought is still reactive.”Madani noted that policy-makers and citizens often have the perception of water availability when it rains, without taking into account that overall water consumption is larger than replenishment. Additionally, having some water in dam reservoirs delays the effects of hydrological drought —when river and underground water levels are dangerously low— on societies. Since the impacts are not immediately felt, decision-makers and water users tend to dismiss early warnings and fail to take action. “Drought is not a crisis, it is a risk and, as such, it can —and has to— be managed with proactive policies and investments, without waiting for drought to strike,” added Tsegai. “This is the one major change in mentality that needs to happen.”Myth 3: Climate change alone is to blame for the effects of drought“From a decision-making perspective, climate change is a blessing for some managers because they can always justify their inaction and blame every failure on global warming and the international community,” said UNU's Madani.In his opinion, leaders must stop treating the water and land sectors as mere victims of climate change and harness their mitigation potential, putting the agrifood sector, including smallholder farmers, at the forefront of the fight against climate change. “Let’s stop blaming drought on climate change and start promoting the water and land sectors as opportunity sectors, instead,” urged Madani, emphasizing the need to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to drought management. “One thing is clear: we will not engineer our way out of droughts, which are a component of the water cycle.”  Myth 4: Gray infrastructure is the answer to droughtAccording to panelists, drought resilience depends on good policies and incentives, supported by targeted investments and a mix of low- and high-level technologies adapted to each context. Such policies must consider nature-based solutions, instead of relying solely on gray infrastructures like dams and water cisterns.A recent TNC report, for example, analyzed which parts of the world face a growing risk of drought and flooding across in the next two decades. What it found is that nature is key to reducing these risks in more than one third of those locations. “When implemented at scale and in the right places, nature-based solutions can support healthy hydrological systems that naturally store water and slowly release it in drier times, building the resilience of ecosystems and communities,” explained Kari Vigerstol, director of Water Security Science and Innovation at The Nature Conservancy.The expert also urged decision-makers to take into account both blue water —found in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs— and green water —available in the soil for plants and soil microorganisms—, as well as surface and underground water. The latter tends to be neglected and overexploited, and there are few collaborative management agreements for transboundary aquifers.Finally, she made a case for involving water users in the management of the resource at all times, not only when the impacts of drought reach societies and economies, and pointed at the importance of weather forecasting, early warning systems, and technologies to enhance water efficiency in agriculture and reuse water.Myth 5: Business can continue as usualAll countries can better prepare to coexist with drought and, according to UNCCD's Tsegai, the political momentum has never been higher. Especially, in the lead up to UNCCD COP16, the largest UN land and drought summit to date, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2 to 13 December. At COP16, the 197 parties to the Convention will discuss, among others a global drought resilience framework, drawing on valuable inputs: the policy recommendations of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) on Drought, established by the previous COP; the outcomes of the Drought Resilience+10 Conference (30 September-2 October, Geneva), focused on drought policy implementation; the insights from IDRA members and allies; and the lessons countries have learned by participating in regional and global communities of practice.The summit in Riyadh will be crucial in fostering a new drought management regime of a global nature, and securing high-level political commitment to drought resilience in the lead up to 2030 and beyond.For the UNCCD expert, the key components needed for countries to plan for drought, rather than simply respond to it, are there: the science, the economic case, the practical success examples, and the technical support.“The next step is to get the governance, financing, and implementation wheels in motion. I am hopeful that countries will rise to the challenge and use every means at their disposal in the upcoming international fora to correct, once and for all, the course of drought management,” he concluded. 

Excellence Monsieur le Premier Ministre Madame la Présidente de la Conférence des ministres africains de l’environnementMesdames et Messieurs les Ministres, et Chefs de délégations,Monsieur le Président de la COP 15 de UNCCD,Excellences Mesdames et Messieurs les Ambassadeurs,Mesdames et Messieurs les Représentants des Organisations Internationales et des Agences du Système des Nations Unies,Mesdames et messieurs,—————————————Le 3 mai 2022, le Président de la République de Côte d’Ivoire recevait, dans cette même salle, des Leaders du monde, pour l’ouverture de la COP15 de la Convention des Nations-Unies sur la Lutte contre la Désertification.  SEM Alassane Ouattara jetait, à l’occasion, les bases d’un programme ambitieux de restauration des terres. Cette COP15, et l’Initiative d’Abidjan sur la restauration des terres, sont restées gravées dans nos mémoires comme étant une des étapes importantes dans la vie de la Convention. Comme pour nous replonger dans les sources d’eau rafraîchissantes du Gbancô (Banco), ou nous concerter sous les baobabs de la Comoé, nous revoilà en terre africaine de Côte d’Ivoire. En quête sinon d’une fraction de la mémoire desEléphants, du moins de la sagesse ressortant de l’arbre à palabres.Le fossé entre les besoins d’une population croissante, et la disponibilité de terres productives, ce fossé dis-je, n’a jamais été grand. Par ailleurs, les revendications des jeunes africains qui aspirent au développement plus juste et plus durable n’ont jamais été aussi audibles. Fort heureusement, l’Afrique n’a jamais été aussi proche d’un consensus ministériel cohérent, avant de prendre part aux trois COP des Conventions de la génération de Rio. Voilà qui plante le décor de l’importance des assises d’Abidjan.  Excellencies,  Ladies and gentlemen,  As we gather here in Abidjan for this special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, large parts of the African continent are wilting.  The Greater Horn of Africa has not yet recovered from its longest drought in 40 years. The dry spell is not sparing North Africa and the Mediterranean region. A couple of years ago, it was Madagascar and the Sahel that were dry. As we speak, the Sahel is severely affected by floods notably in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Sudan. There is hardly any year where floods, drought or loss of fertile land is not hitting the continent. It is heartbreaking to see that Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia --once breadbaskets—are listed among the most affected by malnutrition caused by drought. In Namibia, crippling drought is pushing both people and wildlife to the brink.The loss of productive land across the continent, coupled with the disruptions caused by the increased and erratic rainfall patterns, have reached such levels that young African men and women have no choice but to abandon their farms; flee their villages and their countries. This amplifies a phenomenon that is increasingly making headlines across the world. A phenomenon at the center of the many electoral campaigns we saw this year:  forced migration. In other words, because land degradation fails to garner the political attention it deserves from the countries of origin of African migrants, it is indirectly capturing the attention in third countries. Often for the wrong reasons, leading to a cascade of unsuitable solutions. It is also remarkable that political discussions across the world, and in Africa in particular, barely scratch the surface of the complex relationship between land degradation, climate change and the destruction of natural habitats on the one hand, and conflict and insecurity on the other.  Yet it is a well-known fact that despair breeds hatred. Hunger fuels frustration and resentment. Poverty and the lack of educational and economic opportunities make young people easy prey to trafficking as well as armed conflict and violence. Bad governance creates gusts of frustration which, once set in motion, become very difficult to contain. What could be more paradoxical in the eyes of young people—the overwhelming majority of the African people—than to see their soil, subsoil and seabed overflowing with so much potential, while the opportunities for wealth creation are so few? What could be more intriguing than being fed with speeches claiming that Africa has more arable land than any other continent in the world; when it is the African continent that receives the most food aid?  This begs two questions: is Africa properly addressing the root causes of land degradation? Is Africa prepared to mitigate the impact of the more frequent and more intense droughts -and floods- that are hitting a fast growing, vulnerable population? Addressing the root causes of land degradation points to a revision of some development policies. Reviewing agricultural development policies in the light of real African needs as well as new geopolitical priorities and realities. The land must not be seen only as a source of extraction: extraction of agricultural products, extraction of minerals and extraction of water resources. Nor must the land be seen only through the lenses of exploitation. As the land is our most precious asset for our food, our clothes, our fuels and our animals' feed, we need to adopt a managerial rather than an exploitative attitude. An asset— especially such as a precious asset— ought to be managed, with a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach. What's more, the time has come to create value chains for products extracted from the soil and the depths of African lands. Creating jobs and added value before export. Giving economic value— and not just the market value of raw produce— to agriculture.  Changing our relationship with nature also means adapting to natural hazards. Rather than being reactive to slow-onset disasters, we need to prepare for them, including the silent killers, such as drought. In the same way as anticipating and monitoring non-communicable diseases, each country needs to develop its own drought and flood resilience plan.  Mesdames et Messieurs,Les chiffres du dernier rapport quadriennal de UNCCD montrent qu’en dépit d’importants efforts de restauration des terres, 163 millions d’ha de terres se sont dégradées en Afrique entre 2015 et 2019. Si cette superficie dégradée en seulement 4 ans était une nation, ç’aurait été le 5e pays le plus vaste d’Afrique ! N’est-il pas venu le temps de traiter ces plaies béantes qui menacent l’avenir de tout un continent ?  N’est-il pas venu le temps de repenser les politiques d’extraction agricole et minière ? Le secteur primaire représente la principale source de revenus en Afrique. De sa gestion rationnelle et durable dépendra donc le futur économique du continent.Offrir une autre voie, une approche alternative et plus durable à la gestion des ressources naturelles et l’atténuation des effets de la sécheresse, tel pourrait être le message clé de l’Afrique à la seizième session de la Conférence des Parties à la Convention UNCCD prévue à Riyadh, Royaume d’Arabie Saoudite, du 2 au 13 décembre prochain.Il est attendu de cette COP16 d’être un tournant historique pour adopter une nouvelle approche de gestion des terres et de résilience à la sécheresse. Nous anticipons que Riyadh sera non seulement une belle et grande COP, mais qu’elle laissera un héritage sans précédent pour construire un monde plus résilient à la sécheresse et à la dégradation de la nature. Les agendas des terres, du climat et de la biodiversité étant fortement interconnectés, une approche globale et intégrée est fortement recommandée. Quelle belle coïncidence car la présente session intervient au moment où nous nous préparons tous, avant la fin de cette année, aux COP des 3 Conventions de Rio. La rencontre d’Abidjan vient, donc, à point nommé car se situant à la croisée des chemins de l’agenda environnemental mondial. L’Afrique doit inéluctablement réaffirmer et renforcer son leadership et aller en Arabie Saoudite avec une position confortable et concertée. Une sagesse africaine dit ceci : « Quand la tête est là, il ne faut pas que le genou prétende porter le bonnet ».Alors quand l’Afrique est là, présente en force, qui d’autre portera le bonnet à Riyadh ?  Je vous remercie.

Side events organized within the sidelines of the official sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and/or its subsidiary bodies convened by the UNCCD provide an informal opportunity for Parties and accredited observer organizations to exchange information and experiences on diverse issues related to the objectives of the Convention. Parties and accredited observers wishing to organize a side event during the conference are requested to apply using the following form and submitting it to: sideevent@unccd.int The application form can be downloaded from the Resources tab on this page and should be submitted by 6 September 2024. Participants are advised that the secretariat is responsible only for room allocation. Time slots and rooms will be accommodated according to availability on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, click here.

When the flow of a tropical island nation’s most important river varies by 80 per cent between the dry and wet seasons, something is amiss. In a conserved watershed, the volume of water only fluctuates by 20 per cent, pointing to the role of healthy lands in trapping and slowly releasing moisture as opposed to having water run off in a flash. Such is the predicament of the Northern Yaque river in the Dominican Republic, a mountainous Caribbean country of 10.5 million. Today, water pressure on the river is around 96 per cent, meaning that virtually all the water that the river can be counted on to carry permanently is committed to use by a growing urban population, plantations, and industries. But change, with both short- and long-term gains, is underway.For the past 15 years, dedicated partnerships convening the civil society, public, and private sectors have come up with sustainable land and water management strategies that work for everybody — smallholders, utilities providers and financiers — creating a blueprint from which others can draw inspiration.Experts working to rehabilitate the Northern Yaque watershed, which covers 14.6 per cent of the country, talked us through their process and the success factors in improving the water security of more than 1,8 million people, while building drought resilience in the face of climate change. Partnering with water users The civil society-led Plan for the Development of the Northern Yaque Watershed, or Plan Yaque, convenes 32 civil society and governmental institutions to reforest water catchment areas, train farmers in sustainable land and water management, and help communities treat wastewater before it is released into the river. In turn, Plan Yaque is a technical advisor and a key project implementer of the Northern Yaque Water Fund, a financial and governance mechanism launched in 2015 to raise and administer funds for water security in the watershed. The Fund, which is one of two such structures in the Dominican Republic, brings together 27 partners, including the Ministry of Environment, universities, and the water utility company of the country’s second largest city, Santiago. Additionally, it involves major users like manufacturing companies and banana, rice, and tobacco producer associations —crucial since agriculture accounts for an estimated 85 per cent of water consumption in the area. “The Water Fund is built on the notion that no single stakeholder can do it alone,” says executive director of the Water Fund Walkiria Estévez, who notes that the Dominican Republic is one of the most water stressed countries in the world.Ensuring financial sustainabilityPrivate sector partners contribute economically to the Fund, while each of the customers of the water utility company of Santiago contributes a small amount. The money is then invested in different portfolios and 75 per cent of the profits are used in support of nature-based solutions for water security. The rest is channeled back into the Fund to grow it. But how did the fund get the private sector on board in the first place?“We don’t speak of donations, but of investments,” says Estévez. “The private sector is investing to secure a crucial input —water— for their operations now and in the future. Ultimately, it is about having users take responsibility for managing a vital resource sustainably.”Upholding accountabilityFor Estévez, measuring results, financial accountability, and transparency have been central to gaining and maintaining the trust of partners, as has been starting with low-investment, high-impact interventions that are based on science.“We did not wait for the trust fund to reach a substantial size to start funding projects and presenting results. That was vital to prove that our model worked and to keep the momentum,” she says. However, she notes that continuing to grow the fund is important to bring successful strategies to scale and to support new ones. For example, upcoming trainings to help lowland farmers conserve soils and improve water use efficiency, which currently stands at less than 30 per cent, according to technical project coordinator Alberto Lizardo.Artificial wetland in the Dominican RepublicDeploying nature-based solutionsOne of the star interventions in the watershed are artificial wetlands, treatment systems that use natural processes involving wetland vegetation, soils, and their associated microbial diversity to improve water quality. Plan Yaque is the NGO behind the development and implementation of these low-tech, low-maintenance systems, which have proved to be a transformative solution for rural communities. They have so far built 34 of them. The wastewater from the septic tanks at homes and schools is channeled to the constructed wetland, where microorganisms, aquatic plants, and sunlight remove more than 90 per cent of the pollutants, before the water is released into the river. Water pollution is, alongside flow reduction, one of the two main issues jeopardizing water security in the basin.“The nature-based system works wonderfully and does not need inputs or maintenance, beyond removing the sewage sludge every three months, which communities do themselves” says founder and executive director of Plan Yaque Humberto Checo, one of the leading figures in the watershed restoration and management movement in the country. Working in micro-watershedsFor Checo, from Plan Yaque, a key to their success is focusing each intervention in selected territories drained by streams, or micro-watersheds, 52 tesserae that collectively make up the river Yaque basin. The NGO conducted a diagnosis of the 19 micro-watersheds in the upper basin and prioritized those with both high-water production and imminent threat from the expansion of the agricultural frontier, which leads to deforestation and the loss of the natural systems that maintain an adequate water flow. Then, they identified key farms or producer associations and set out to demonstrate why shifting from slash-and-burn agriculture to self-sustaining forestry and agroforestry systems was in their best interest.Changing mindsets “Changing mindsets to transform land management one family at a time is the most important part of the whole strategy, and our most important learning,” says Checo.Short cycle crops like corn, sweet potatoes, and yuca mean that farmers must toil incessantly into their old age to make a living, he says, whereas planting macadamia nut trees, orchards, and even coffee ensures a good source of future income with minimal effort while regenerating the soil and protecting water catchment areas. Land use planning across the farm is part of the approach.Parched, denuded hills of the farmers who continued with business as usual 15 years ago now stand next to the stunningly verdant slopes of those who opted to shift to more sustainable agricultural practices, reviving the landscape and building economic security for present and future generations along the way. These type of efforts largely account for the rise of the Dominican Republic as a global land restoration hotspot.“Sustainability lies in this newly gained awareness of the need to care, together, for the natural systems that sustain us,” says Estévez of the Water Fund. This is what we ultimately strive for.”Bringing what works to scalePlan Yaque has also pioneered a payment for ecosystem services scheme (PES) with support from hydropower and water providers, and the country recently passed its first law on PES. The next challenge, says Checo, is bringing this and other internationally lauded, science-based initiatives to micro-watersheds across the country.“After decades of experience in watershed restoration and protection, we have evidence on what works,” says Checo. “With the right policies and investments, we could bring this expertise to scale while supporting the next generation of landscape professionals.”  

TUMU, Northern Ghana — As the sun rises over the dusty plains of northern Ghana, a quiet revolution is underway. In a region long ravaged by desertification and drought, communities are adopting innovative sustainable land management (SLM) practices and breathing new life into these once-parched lands. This is not just about restoring the environment but also about rejuvenating agriculture and creating a hopeful future. Women are at the forefront of this movement, whose leadership and innovation are paving the way for more sustainable lands and livelihoods. Women from the Nanchala community dancing and singingFor decades, the people of northern Ghana have battled against a harsh reality: their once fertile lands are turning to dust, their crops withering under the relentless sun. Traditional practices, such as cutting down trees for charcoal production, have only worsened the situation, leading to widespread deforestation and land degradation. “Especially this year, the sun has been too high,” laments Hillia Sulemana Joseph, the chairman of Sakalo’s community committee. “We are trying our best to help with the drought and all these problems.”  Hillia Sulemana Joseph, chairman of Sakalo’s community committee.In response to these challenges, the community, with the support of organizations like Arusha Ghana, has begun to adopt sustainable practices that promise both environmental and economic benefits. One of the most notable innovations is the production of charcoal from grass — a resource that is abundant and renewable, unlike the rapidly disappearing trees. “Arusha Ghana has come to introduce the grass that we can use to make charcoal,” says Joseph, explaining how this shift could dramatically reduce deforestation. “This will reduce the cutting of trees that protect the vegetation and the ozone layer.”This sustainable approach is not just about preserving the environment; it’s about creating a new economy. By producing grass charcoal, the community not only protects its natural resources but also opens up new income streams for local families. The shift to grass charcoal has sparked a small-scale industry, providing jobs and fostering economic resilience in an area where opportunities are scarce. Charcoal made out of grass dryingThe community’s commitment to these practices is enforced by a newly established local police force, which ensures adherence to strict regulations against bush burning and illegal tree felling. “If we catch you burning bush or cutting trees for charcoal, you will go to jail,” Joseph warns, highlighting the seriousness of their mission.The economic benefits of sustainable land management are not limited to charcoal production. In July 2024, a team from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) visited the Sakalu and Nachanla communities. They saw first-hand how innovative SLM practices are being used and witnessed the real results of the Land of Opportunities — Global Mechanism Project, commonly known as LogMe, which integrates environmental restoration with economic development, particularly for women. Women from the Nanchala communityThe LogMe project, funded by the Italian Ministry for Ecological Transitions and implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is designed to create employment opportunities through sustainable land use. “We did not come with imposed technologies,” says Dr. Jacques Somda, head of the IUCN program in Burkina Faso. “We came to discuss with them and see together what we can do to change what they are doing that is not good for nature.”LogMe has facilitated the planting of over 60,000 tree seedlings to restore forests and farmlands. Four community nurseries with 40,000 seedling capacity were also established. 8 solar-powered boreholes were installed to improve access to clean drinking water. These interventions are helping to rebuild vegetation, store carbon and recharge groundwater. Dr. Jacques Somda, head of the IUCN program in Burkina FasoCentral to the project is the restoration of wetlands through reforestation and erosion control, practices that not only protect the environment but also enhance agricultural productivity. Somda explains, “By restoring the forest gallery, we reduce evapotranspiration and allow the watercourse to retain more water.” This restoration supports the creation of microclimates that can sustain crops even during dry seasons, boosting food security and providing farmers with more reliable incomes. Tree planting around water bodiesWomen, who have traditionally been marginalized in economic activities, are now becoming key players in this environmental and economic revival. Chambua Sahada, secretary of the women’s group Nanchala Community, describes the transformative effect of tree planting around water bodies: “With the trees, it was initially difficult to access water in December. But now, with the trees around, an ecosystem has been created. We can see crocodiles, hear birds, and there are even fish in the river.”This restoration not only brings environmental benefits but also empowers women economically. The LogMe project has introduced training programs that teach women to use energy-efficient cookstoves and produce charcoal briquettes from clay and dry grass. These new skills have opened up additional income streams for women, who are now able to sell these environmentally friendly products in local markets. Nanchala community women's group secretary Chambua Sahada with Gilles Amadou Ouedraogo, project manager at the Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).LogMe has promoted livelihood diversification activities like beekeeping, dry season gardening and soap making. Over 120 women’s groups received beehives and training in honey production.Women’s economic empowerment is central to the community’s sustainable development strategy. By involving women in decision-making and leadership roles, the community ensures that its initiatives are more inclusive and effective. Sahada’s group has even broken cultural taboos, with women now harvesting honey — an activity once reserved for men. “In the beginning, it was even taboo for a woman to harvest honey,” Sahada recalls. “But now we do it ourselves.” Rehabilitated forest area in northern Ghana dotted with bee hives, part of sustainable land management practices that not only restore the environment but also provide local communities with new sources of income through beekeepingIn just over two years, the LogMe project has sustainably transformed over 80,000 lives across 8 communities. Through integrated approaches, degraded sahelian landscapes have been restored, food security boosted, forests regenerated, and new livelihood options created. The project shows that even in the face of desertification and drought, coordinated action can turn lands of despair into lands of opportunity. Dr. Somda says: “We make sure that the restoration activities are based on benefits for the local people. As we restore the land, nature also benefits from these activities.” Two young girls share a joyful moment at a community water pump in northern Ghana, symbolizing the brighter future being built through sustainable land management and access to essential resourcesSustainable land management is critical to addressing the environmental challenges of northern Ghana. Through innovative approaches, community involvement and comprehensive projects like LogMe, significant progress is being made in restoring degraded land and improving agriculture. These efforts are protecting the environment and improving the lives of local communities, demonstrating the power of sustainable practices to build resilience and prosperity. As the sun sets over Sakalo, casting long shadows over the rejuvenated land, the women gather once more, their hands and hearts full of the day’s work. They are not just restoring the land; they are reclaiming their lives, their dignity, and their hope for a future where the earth is as resilient as the people who call it home.