Context: The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification opened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.”
About The UN Convention to Combat Desertification:
What It Is?
- The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is one of the three Rio Conventions (alongside UNFCCC for climate change and CBD for biodiversity) established at the 1992 Earth Summit.
Established In & Historical Background:
- Genesis: Formally recommended by Agenda 21 at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED).
- Adoption & Entry into Force: Adopted in Paris on June 17, 1994 (now observed globally as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought) and entered into force in December 1996.
- Global Membership: Has near-universal membership with 197 Parties (196 countries plus the European Union).
Aim: To combat desertification, reverse land degradation, and mitigate the effects of drought in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas (drylands) to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030 and support sustainable livelihoods.
Key Functions of the UNCCD:
- Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN): Coordinates global efforts to ensure that the quantity and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and food security remain stable or increase.
- Promoting Proactive Drought Resilience: Facilitates international frameworks—such as the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership—to transition countries from reactive post-disaster crisis relief to proactive drought preparedness and early warning systems.
- Decentralized Bottom-Up Governance: Mandates that National Action Programmes (NAPs) be designed with active participation from local communities, farmers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples, and women.
- Mobilizing Climate & Land Finance: Operates the Global Mechanism (GM) to help developing countries channel domestic, bilateral, private-sector, and multilateral funds into sustainable land management projects.
- Cross-Border Peace & Ecosystem Co-Management: Spearheads specialized international programs like the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), promoting transboundary ecological restoration across conflict-affected borders.
Significance:
- Restores degraded drylands, protecting soil fertility, water resources, agricultural productivity, and rural livelihoods.
- Restored soils act as carbon sinks and conserve habitats, supporting global climate and biodiversity goals.
