Delegates from 196 countries and the European Union have gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, for UNCCD COP17, with drought resilience, land restoration, rangeland protection and the multibillion-dollar financing gap expected to dominate negotiations.
Today, delegates from 196 countries and the European Union have convened in Mongolia for the opening of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), with governments and other stakeholders expected to confront some of the world’s most pressing land, drought and food security challenges.
About 60 delegates from Nigeria will be participating in this year’s conference and negotiations. Nigeria, alongside other African countries, seeks to advance a legally binding instrument on drought management. Nigerian authorities and the African bloc believe the proposed instrument would essentially establish a protocol for managing drought. Other areas include finance. Nigerian delegates anticipate pushing for more financial support to meet the country’s national needs and fund the National Adaptation Plan.
Land degradation and drought are estimated to cost the global economy nearly $900 billion annually and affect up to 40 per cent of the world’s land and 3.2 billion people.
Droughts have increased by almost one-third since 2000 and now cause at least $300 billion in annual losses, according to the UNCCD.
Against this backdrop, negotiations at COP17 will focus on drought, rangelands, agricultural lands and soils, resource mobilisation, private-sector engagement and the future strategic direction of the Convention.
The conference is also the first of the three Rio Convention COPs taking place in 2026, ahead of the biodiversity and climate conferences, creating an opportunity for countries to strengthen cooperation on land degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, food security and water resilience.
In her opening remarks monitored by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad explained that land degradation and drought are no longer distant environmental concerns but are already affecting food production, water sources, the resilience of economies, and the ability of communities to build secure futures.
“Healthy land is the foundation of healthy food systems, resilient economies and stable societies,” she said.
She added that: “COP17 must therefore be a COP of implementation. The world does not lack solutions; the challenge is taking them to scale. Ulaanbaatar must mobilise the political leadership, investment, and partnerships needed to translate commitments into measurable results on the ground. Restoring land is not simply an environmental obligation—it is an investment in people, stability and resilience,” she said.
Following remarks at the opening session of COP17 in Mongolia, here are seven major issues expected to shape conversations over the next two weeks.
1. Turning drought management from crisis response to resilience
According to the organisers, drought resilience is expected to be one of the most consequential issues at the conference.
Building on discussions at COP16 in Riyadh, the UNCCD said governments will continue negotiations on a global policy framework for drought while examining practical measures to improve preparedness, early warning systems, vulnerability assessments and international cooperation.
More than 70 countries have developed national drought plans, compared with only three in 2013, UNCCD said.
The increase reflects growing recognition that drought needs to be anticipated and managed before it develops into a humanitarian and economic crisis.
The economic case for investment is also significant. The UNCCD noted that every dollar invested in drought resilience can generate returns of up to $10, while some nature-based solutions can deliver benefits of up to 27 times their cost.
COP17 is expected to feature new tools and partnerships linked to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, the Drought Resilience Investment Facility and the International Drought Resilience Observatory.
The central question will be whether countries can move beyond adopting drought plans to securing the finance and institutions needed to implement them.
2. Closing the $278 billion annual land-finance gap
Finance will be another major fault line at the conference.
An estimated $355 billion is required annually to combat land degradation and drought, but current investment is only around $77 billion, leaving a financing gap of approximately $278 billion.
The private sector currently accounts for only about six per cent of global financing for land restoration and drought resilience, despite businesses’ dependence on healthy land, water and functioning ecosystems.
COP17 will therefore explore ways to attract more private capital, reduce investment risks and create incentives for sustainable land management.
The conference will also examine how governments, development banks, businesses and investors can work together to leverage existing commitments.
One initiative expected to receive attention is Business4Land, which seeks to increase private-sector participation in land restoration and drought resilience.
At the Business for Land Forum scheduled for 24 August, governments, businesses and investors will discuss ways to accelerate investment in regenerative landscapes.
Organisations participating in the Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes have already committed more than $9 billion across more than 210 million hectares, according to the UNCCD.
3. Putting rangelands and pastoralists at the centre
Rangelands are expected to receive unprecedented attention at COP17, which is being held during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
