Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) have become integral parts in combating desertification, as it is not possible to achieve one without the other, speakers at a UN conference have said.
Addressing the United Nations Conference on Combating Desertification in Turkey, speakers said the adoption of SDGs by global leaders has presented an unprecedented opportunity to build a new momentum for the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
“Hence, our first priority area will be Land Degradation Neutrality action,” said Markus Repnik, managing director of the Global Mechanism, which provides support to countries in translating the UNCCD into action.
“This means: supporting countries in LDN target setting, LDN implementation and reporting. And supporting countries to tap into increasingly available financing resources for land restoration and sustainable land management,” he said.
At a Global Mechanism-hosted programme themed “From Pilots to Scale – Supporting Countries to Translate the Convention into Action,” Repnik said another important area the Global Mechanism was passionate about is the links between land, resilience and security.
“It is now widely recognised that the link between environmental degradation, migration and conflicts have dire consequences for human security.”
He added that drought was the most damaging and costly natural disaster, affecting the livelihoods and survival of more people than any other physical hazard.
To this end, the Global Mechanism is also helping local communities in building resilience to drought and climate change through its focus on disaster risk reduction, drought management, as well as forest and landscape restoration, Repnik added.
On the third day of the two-week meeting, UNCCD COP 12 participants conducted initial discussions on agenda items for the Committee of the Whole, Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) and Committee on Science and Technology (CST). Contact groups were established by each body to elaborate draft decisions for consideration by the COP.
