New Delhi, India – During a national workshop co-hosted by UNCCD and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change of India (MoEFCC) on 4–5 December 2018, policy makers, researchers and representatives of civil society organizations, intergovernmental organizations (CSOs) and the private…

Chitre, Panama – Over 100 representatives of the ministries of environment, agriculture and health together with delegates from research institutions, associations of producers, CSOs and international organizations joined the celebration the World Soil Day (WSD) on 5 December 2018 in Chitre, about…

Bangkok, Thailand – The World Soil Day (WSD) celebration was held on 5 December 2018 under the theme “Be the Solution to Soil Pollution.” Over 800 participants gathered for the event jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative Land Development Department, Soil and Fertilizer…

Katowice, Poland – UNCCD has joined other Rio conventions in the margins of the ongoing Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP24) to foster the alignment of the three conventions that tackle similar problems, have similar goals and operate in the same ecosystems. Addressing the audience, the UNCCD…

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) invites governments, experts, and other stakeholders, including practitioners, to participate in a web conference whose objective is to review and further explore knowledge gaps and discuss knowledge needs…

World Soil Day is commemorated every 5 December to remind us that soil is important for both the natural system and human well-being. Our laxity in taking care of the soil partly comes from the assumption that land is abundant. It is also because most of us are no longer directly reliant on the land…

Lomé, Togo – In the framework of the Drought Initiative, Togo has elaborated its National Drought Plan (NDP) with the support of the Global Mechanism of UNCCD. Translating its strong commitment to take proactive approach to drought risk and mitigation, the Ministry of Environment and Forest…

Bonn, Germany – The Global Mechanism (GM) of UNCCD participated in the Global Landscapes Forum on 2 December 2018 to discuss how the convention is working with 120 countries that are establishing targets to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030. While the countries are undertaking the…

Brasília, Brazil – Progress towards land degradation neutrality (LDN) became the focus of the recent national conference organized in partnership with UNCCD and UNDP on 26–27 November to discuss strategies, challenges and results of combating desertification, recovering degraded areas and reducing…

Lomé, Togo – A workshop on achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) targets through transformative projects and programmes (TPP) was delivered by the Global Mechanism of UNCCD (GM) team at the West African Development Bank (BOAD) offices on 27– 28 November 2018. The objective of the training was…

At the invitation of the Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the seventeenth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 17) will take place in Georgetown, Guyana on 28-30 January 2019. The meeting will take place at Guyana International…

Brussels, Belgium – The third edition of the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD3), developed in partnership by UNCCD, the European Commission and its Joint Research Center, was presented at the European Commission headquarters on 27 November 2018. Juan Carlos Mendoza, the Managing Director of the…

Santiago de Chile – The UNCCD presented its work at the Rotary Club Vitacura on 21 November, 2018 to discuss the threats, causes and impacts of desertification with the local members of the organization that has over 1 200 000 across five continents. The president of the club Mr. Marcelo Canobra…

Ebène, Mauritius – Recognizing the urgent need to address pressing environmental challenges, the representatives of the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles gathered for a workshop on 21-22 November 2018 to develop a joint game plan to increase the resilience to natural disasters and…

In May 2019, representatives of 130 governments will be presented, for discussion and possible approval, with a definitive new global synthesis of the state of nature, ecosystems and nature’s contributions to people – the first such report since the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was…

Istanbul, Turkey – Scientists and experts from West Asia, Central Asia and the Balkans, together with the representatives of the UNCCD, UNEP and WMO, attended the Sixth International Sand and Dust Storm (SDS) workshop on 12-15 November 2018 to discuss the importance of partnerships in addressing SDS…

The online registration process opens on 22 November 2018 and closes 10 January 2019. Bonn, Germany. For the first time since the adoption of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in 1994, world governments are meeting to consider the impact of land degradation on people and ecosystems…

Budapest, Hungary – The Hungarian Meteorological Service and the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Center (DRMKC) of the European Commission organized an international training course on drought risk assessment on 6 – 8 November 2018 to discuss the increasing frequency, severity and intensity of…

China has emerged as a champion in the fight against desertification by investing heavily in land restoration efforts through several major initiatives. The Three-North Shelterbelt programme, also known as the "Green Great Wall of China," is a national tree-planting project designed to rehabilitate…

Seoul, Republic of Korea – The 2018 REDD+ International Symposium, organized by the Republic of Korea Forest Service (KFS), took place on 31 October 2018, bringing together participants from UN agencies and international organizations, national institutions, universities and government agencies. The…