UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar is almost here (17-28 August) and the Riyadh Action Agenda Community has a rich programme lined up across both weeks.

On 17 June, the world marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, hosted this year in Kenya, a rangeland-rich country that is highly exposed to the compounding pressures of land degradation and recurrent drought. With a triple-COP year seeking alignment across the land, biodiversity, and climate agendas more than ever before — the window to turn that message into integrated, accountable, financeable action for water and drought resilience is open.

Last month saw a significant shift in the politics of land restoration. G7 ministers formally declared that desertification, land degradation and drought are systemic global challenges and security risk multipliers – bringing these looming social, economic and security threats to the main agenda of global policy.