Support of the UN Con-vention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. To combat desertification/land degradation and drought (DLDD) the UNCCD was established in 1994.

DLDD contribute to and aggravate economic, social and environmental problems such as poverty, poor health, lack of food security, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, reduced resilience to climate change and forced migration and continue to pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of all countries, particularly affected countries.

Approximately 33% of the world’s farmland is already degraded and 12 million hectares of land are lost by desertification every year, putting 50 million people at risk of displacement in the next ten years.

-        Reduction of the area affected by desertification/land degradation and contribution to land degradation neutrality (LDN).

-        Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought to develop effective policy and implementation measures for addressing drought impacts in the context of UNCCD.

-        Integration of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) into the implementation of the UNCCD and land degradation neutrality.

Expected results:  

-        A technical guide on how to integrate the VGGT into the implementation of the UNCCD and land degradation neutrality.

-        WOCAT database is more gender sensitive and assessing gender sensitive SLM technologies.

-        Enhanced civil society engagement.

Results from previous phases:  

-        First national reporting process under the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework concluded with quantitative baseline data for future reporting processes.

-        The proportion of degraded land of all land (SDG indicator 15.3.1) reported by 127 affected country Parties is 19.2 per cent or more than 17.5 million km².

-        COP14 adopted a landmark decision on land tenure and the VGGT. CSO played a crucial role through awareness raising and advocacy.

-        The WOCAT consortium and the UNCCD secretariat have signed a Partnership Agreement.

-        Members of JUSCANZ and the European Union

-        UNCCD Civil Society Panel

-        WOCAT (World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies; University Bern – Centre for Development and Environment)

-        VGGT- FAO, ILC

Phase 11 01.01.2020 - 31.12.2022   (Completed)