UN conference to shape next phase of global action on land, drought – EnviroNews

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By 2050, agriculture will need to produce at least 50 per cent more food to feed a growing global population, even as up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is already degraded and the planet is becoming increasingly drier. While countries have already made global commitments to address land degradation and strengthen drought resilience, the priority now is to translate those commitments into action at the scale and speed these challenges demand. 

Against this backdrop, the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will bring together governments, international organisations, financial institutions, businesses, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, youth and civil society in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from August 17 to 28, 2026. 

As the first COP of the Rio Conventions taking place this year ahead of the biodiversity and climate COPs, UNCCD COP17 will focus on the financing, partnerships and practical solutions that can help countries accelerate implementation of global commitments on land restoration and drought resilience. The conference will also underscore the role of healthy land as a foundation for climate action, biodiversity conservation and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Coinciding with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, UNCCD COP17 will place healthy rangelands at the heart of the global agenda. Covering 54 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and supporting the livelihoods of around two billion people, rangelands are essential to food security, rural livelihoods and planetary health, yet they remain among the world’s most overlooked and undervalued ecosystems.  

Among the announcements expected at UNCCD COP17 is the launch of a new global partnership to mobilise long-term investment in sustainable rangeland management and pastoral livelihoods, recognising rangelands as strategic assets for resilient societies and economies.

Among the expected highlights are: 

• Launch of the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, a global partnership to accelerate investment in sustainable rangeland management. 
• Major announcements on financing initiatives, new partnerships and solutions to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience. 
• New scientific reports and policy publications on drought, rangelands, healthy soil and land restoration. 
• High-level dialogues on drought resilience, sustainable rangelands, resilient agrifood systems, sand and dust storms, and migration and security. 
• First-ever formal convenings of Indigenous Peoples, and of Local Communities, as well as meetings of the Business4Land Forum, the Youth Forum, and the Gender Caucus. 
• Events marking the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, including the culmination of the Silk Road Caravan.