News & stories

Women farmers, project implementers, policy makers and NGO representatives came together on 13-17 May to discuss mainstreaming gender in projects that contribute to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) targets in Zambia.

The UNCCD coordinator for Northern Mediterranean Mr. Erdogan Ozevren met with India's Ambassador in Turkey Mr. Shri Sanjay Bhattacharyya on 17 May to discuss the preparations for the high-level segment of the upcoming UNCCD COP14 that will take place on 2-13 September 2019 in New Delhi, India.

Around 500 participants from over 100 countries attended the Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (GSER19) that took place on 15-17 May to discuss catalyzing efforts for reducing soil erosion – one of the processes of land degradation.

As we take action to manage our land resources in a sustainable way, let’s also protect all the living creatures that the healthy land supports and depends on. On this World Migratory Bird Day, let's remind ourselves about everyday contributions that all of us can make to ensure the health of the planet and its inhabitants, including birds. Healthy land relies on migratory birds just as much as they depend on it to feed, breed and rest during long journeys. In exchange, birds pollinate plants, carry seeds and control pests. Keeping land free from plastic pollution is a way to protect migratory birds and their habitats. While disposable plastic products are often used for their main purpose only briefly, discarded plastic can linger on Earth for hundreds of years, killing birds that get entangled in plastic debris or swallow them. When we keep plastic waste away from natural habitats, we benefit a myriad of living organisms. Be assured that they will return the favor by keeping our planet healthy and beautiful. Read more:  Messages from the Executive Secretary

On this page, you can download the agenda and presentations of the Drought Toolbox Validation Workshop held in Antalya, Turkey, 2-4 May 2019. Workshop agenda Opening overview and agenda Session 1: Development/Implementation of National Drought Plans Why national drought plans? Overview of developing National Drought Plans; How does it work? Criteria and institutional requirements, etc. Daniel Tsegai [UNCCD] UNCCD: Drought Initiative; National Drought Plans & Beyond Robert Stefanski/Frederik Pischke [WMO/GWP] Development and Implementation of National Drought Plans Session 2: Drought Toolbox - Pillar 1 Early Warning and Monitoring Systems [Robert Stefanski/Frederik Pischke, WMO/GWP] IDMP Drought Monitoring and Early Warning Systems FAO’s Perspectives on Early Warning and Monitoring Systems [Maher Salman/Yo Nishimura, FAO] FAO’s Perspective on Early Warning and Monitoring Systems UNEP-DHI Portal on Drought Monitoring & Early Warning - Background [Bertrand Richaud, UNEP-DHI] UNEP-DHI Portal Drought Monitoring & Early Warning Hands-on exercise on relevant features of the Drought portal [Bertrand Richaud, UNEP-DHI]  Step By Step Exercise Rainfall Data Rainfall Index Soil moisture index Vegetation index Socioeconomic data Reporting Session 3: Drought Toolbox - Pillar 2 Vulnerability Assessment – Perspectives from FAO [Maher Salman/Yo Nishimura] Vulnerability Assessment Perspectives from FAO Vulnerability Assessment/IDMP/Drought Impact Reporters [Robert Stefanski/Frederik Pischke, WMO/GWP] IDMP Vulnerability Assessment and Drought Impact Reporters Drought Impact and Vulnerability Assessment (UNCCD, Caroline King-Okumu) UNCCD IDMP: Drought Impact & Vulnerability Assessment  Session 4: Drought Toolbox- Pillar 3 FAO’s Drought Risk Mitigation Tools from the field - [Maher Salman/Yo Nishimura, FAO] FAO Drought Risk Mitigation Measures Drought Risk Mitigation Measures - IDMP, etc. [Robert Stefanski/Frederik Pischke, WMO/GWP] IDMP Drought Risk Mitigation Measures Decision Tree on Risk Mitigation Measures/best practices [Jeroen van Dalen, UNCCD]  UNCCD Risk Mitigation Measures/Best Practices