UNCCD COP17 Opens in Mongolia to Advance Land Restoration, Drought Action
Islamabad, July 17: The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened in Ulaanbaatar on Monday, with governments, scientists, Indigenous communities and other stakeholders.
Running until July 28 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope,” the conference has drawn representatives of the UNCCD’s 197 parties, as well as Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists, youth, smallholder farmers and civil society organisations.
The talks are focused on scaling up land restoration, strengthening drought resilience, improving water and rangeland management, restoring soil health, transforming food systems and mobilising finance for sustainable land management.
The conference is taking place amid growing concerns over increasingly frequent and severe droughts, which are threatening livelihoods, food security and ecosystems, particularly in dryland regions.
As host, Mongolia is highlighting the role of traditional ecological knowledge alongside modern technology in combating desertification and restoring degraded landscapes.
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The conference also coincides with the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, an initiative championed by Mongolia to strengthen international efforts to protect rangelands and pastoral communities.
Ahead of COP17, Mongolia held regional consultations across its Gobi and steppe provinces with support from the European Union, the Partners for Integrity Network and UN agencies.
Herders, young people, community leaders and government officials contributed to discussions on land degradation, water scarcity and climate change, helping shape the proposed Steppe Action Agenda.
Participants called for pastoralists, Indigenous communities and young people to have a greater role in land restoration policies, while urging stronger regional cooperation and better protection of drinking-water resources.
They have stressed the need for stronger resilience measures and greater investment in land restoration before droughts and other crises intensify.COP17 Policy Adviser N. Mandakh said businesses needed to recognise the economic risks associated with land degradation and increase investment in restoration.
IOM Mongolia Chief of Mission Dr Yoko Fujimura said the conference provided an opportunity to share experience and encourage action, while WHO Representative Dr Socorro Escalante said healthy land was fundamental to resilient communities and warned that desertification posed risks to food, water and health.
The conference is expected to advance international efforts on land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management, with negotiations taking place against growing pressure on land and water resources worldwide.
