The Sixth Kubuqi International Desert Forum (KIDF) took place at the Kubuqi International Conference Center, Inner Mongolia, China, from 28 to 30 July 2017. The KIDF has been recognized by UNCCD as a platform for exchange and promotion of ideas on global desertification control and green economic…

UNCCD Executive Secretary Monique Barbut visited Lebanon to witness the adoption of national LDN voluntary targets and discuss with the President Michel Aoun and members of the government the importance of setting LDN targets, implementing transformative projects and involving both the private and…

To raise awareness on the importance and benefits of sustainable land management in combating land degradation and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), a workshop was held by the National Soil Services Centre (NSSC) in Thimphu on 26 July. Find out more by following this link.

Hamburg/Bonn, 20 July 2017 – The 2017 Future Policy Award has released a shortlist of the world’s best policies for tackling land degradation, one of humanity’s foremost challenges that undermines food security, livelihoods and the health of hundreds of millions of people. Press-release: English…

Launched at the UNCCD COP10 in the Republic of Korea as part of the Changwon Initiative, the Land for Life Award recognizes excellence and innovation in efforts towards land in balance. The past editions shed light on inspiring initiatives of recovery and restoration of degraded landscapes worldwide…

Responsibilities and Tasks Following paragraph 9 of the terms of reference of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST), as contained in decision 15/COP.1, the Bureau of the CST is responsible for the follow-up of the work of the CST between sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP). The…

Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) in Haiti The people of Haiti struggle with problems as a result of land degradation and lack of access to sanitation. Through building eco-san toilets, SOIL provides access to toilets to people who have none, and at the same time creates valuable…

We congratulate the winners of the 2014 Land for Life Award! Equal first prize winners of USD 35,000 each goes to The Conservation Organization for Afghan Mountains Areas (COAM), Afghanistan and Green Asia Network (GAN), Republic of Korea.

SEKEM, Egypt SEKEM, founded by Ibrahim Abouleish in 1977, has been adopting biodynamic agricultural methods to rehabilitate more than 2,000 hectares desert land in Egypt. SEKEM has successfully developed into a thriving agricultural business and was a world pioneer in developing organic cotton…

Representatives of governments, international organizations, businesses and media from different regions, cultures and age groups attended the Dialogue on Land and Security in Caux, France from 11 – 15 July 2017. The Dialogue recognized that the restoration of degraded lands is not only a key…

Watch this video to learn about the journey of Eritrea to achieve LDN:

The Government and the people of Eritrea are committed to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030. In order to restore, sustain and enhance the productive functions of the country’s natural ecosystem resources, Government of Eritrea has massively invested in the agriculture sector. All…

The Government of Bolivia in collaboration with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will organize a Regional Conference on Drought Management and Preparedness for Latin America and…

Mandate of the CRIC at intersessional sessions Intersessional sessions of the CRIC are to focus their work on the review of the implementation of the Convention by Parties through, inter alia: (a) Undertaking an assessment of implementation against progress indicators every four years and against…

The Sustainable Development Goal 15 “Life on land” commits world leaders to work together to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) for safeguarding life on land. One of the objectives that comprise LDN is to reinforce responsible governance of land tenure. Land rights are a key factor for…

The lands around the Mediterranean Sea (the Mediterranean Basin) form the largest of the five world regions subjected to a Mediterranean climate – long, warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. These climatic conditions make the Mediterranean vegetation (woodlands, scrubs and…

While well known for rainforests, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are actually about one-fourth desert and drylands (20,533,000 km2). The deserts of the Pacific coast stretch from southern Ecuador across the entire Peruvian shoreline to northern Chile. Further inland, at altitudes of 3,000-4…

Desertification manifests itself in many different forms across the vast region of Asia and the Pacific. Out of a total land area of 4.3 billion hectares reaching from the Mediterranean coast to the shores of the Pacific, Asia contains some 1.7 billion hectares of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid…

Two-thirds of the African continent is desert or drylands. This land is vital for agriculture and food production, however nearly three-fourths of it is estimated to be degraded. The region is affected by frequent droughts, which have been particularly severe in recent years in the Horn of Africa…

Responsibilities There are four principal categories of obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and its regional implementation annexes: The common obligation of all Parties, including those unaffected by desertification, are spelled out mainly in articles 3…

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was adopted on 17 June 1994. During the time it was open for signature, from October 1994 to October 1995, it received 115 signatures. The Convention entered into force in December 1996. The UNCCD currently has 197 Parties. Non…