News / 2 december 2024

Advocating for Local Solutions: Both ENDS at UNCCD COP16 to Champion Sustainable Land Management and Gender Equality

As the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) celebrates its 30th anniversary, the global community faces an urgent need to address the escalating challenges of land degradation, desertification and drought. At the forefront of these efforts, Both ENDS has long advocated for inclusive, locally-led solutions to these critical issues. In this interview, Nathalie van Haren and Yordanos Mulder, who will represent Both ENDS at the upcoming UNCCD COP16, share insights into the significance of the conference, the key issues on the agenda, and the crucial role of local communities in shaping effective land governance. They discuss Both ENDS' ongoing work to amplify the voices of marginalised groups and emphasise the importance of sustainable land management practices, particularly those driven by women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples.

What does the UNCCD entail, and why is it important?

"The UNCCD, or United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, is a legally binding international agreement that links environmental sustainability with development through sustainable land management. It focuses on combating desertification and land degradation while mitigating the effects of drought, particularly in vulnerable regions like Africa.

The UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside the conventions on climate change and biodiversity. The Rio Conventions are like three sisters, with the UNCCD often seen as the 'forgotten middle child': overshadowed by the high-profile climate change and biodiversity conventions. But desertification is a massive issue, especially now, with climate change worsening droughts and causing devastating effects on ecosystems.

The UNCCD is critical because desertification, land degradation, and drought threaten livelihoods, biodiversity, and food security globally. Every year, the planet loses 100 million hectares of healthy, productive land—an area comparable to Egypt, or Bolivia, or Germany and France combined. The scarcity of fertile land is exacerbated by climate change, conflicts, and resource competition, impacting everyone. However, marginalised groups, such as women, youth, small-scale farmers, pastoralists, and Indigenous Peoples, are disproportionately affected by these challenges."

What is Both ENDS' role in the UNCCD?

"Since the UNCCD’s inception in 1994, Both ENDS has been committed to advocating for inclusive governance that values the expertise of local communities in addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought. Both ENDS has been involved in the UNCCD right from the beginning. We've always been passionate about ensuring that local communities and the organisations that support them have a strong voice in these discussions. After all, they are on the frontlines of these challenges and possess invaluable knowledge about what’s happening on the ground.

Both ENDS is an active member of Drynet, a network of 20+ CSOs advocating for inclusion local groups, communities, especially women, youth and Indigenous Peoples within land governance and acknowledgement for locally-led initiatives and action in the UNCCD discussions. Drynet has been instrumental in elevating land rights as a central issue in the UNCCD’s agenda. Both ENDS promotes gender equality in land governance and emphasises the importance of agroecology, sustainable land use, and community-led land restoration initiatives."

What is at stake at UNCCD COP16, and what are the key topics to be discussed?

"UNCCD COP16 will address several critical challenges related to land degradation, desertification, and drought. Key topics on the agenda include:

Strengthening drought resilience: discussions will focus on improving drought preparedness, response, and resilience as droughts become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Land as a climate and biodiversity solution: recognising the vital role of land, COP16 will explore ways to ensure it continues to contribute to climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation.
Inclusive and sustainable land governance: securing land tenure rights for women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities will be a central focus, emphasising the importance of equitable land governance.
Mobilising financial resources: participants will discuss innovative funding mechanisms and partnerships to bridge the significant financial gap needed to combat desertification, land degradation and drought.

As the UNCCD marks its 30th anniversary, COP16 is also a moment to reflect on past achievements and shape a future vision. A midterm evaluation of the UNCCD 2018−2030 Strategic Framework will assess progress and guide future actions and policies. UNCCD COP16 represents a pivotal opportunity for the global community to tackle these pressing challenges and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future."

What are your hopes for COP16?

"Both ENDS hopes that COP16 will:

Strengthen policy support and increase access to finance for locally led initiatives, particularly in agroecology and women’s land rights.
Enhance participation from women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities and the organisations that support them in the UNCCD decision-making process.
Facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration among governments, civil society, scientists, and other stakeholders.

We are strongly advocating for concrete commitments from governments to support locally led initiatives, especially those driven by women. For instance, women's groups in the drylands of Brazil participating in the Cadernetas Agroecológicas initiative are doing remarkable work—producing food sustainably, restoring degraded lands, and building resilience to drought. Similarly, local communities in Niger, Senegal, and Burkina Faso are achieving significant outcomes through Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration. These and many other locally led initiatives embody agroecological principles, producing food, empowering communities, and restoring ecosystems. Yet, they are often overlooked in policies and funding allocations. This must change."

What are your concerns?

"Both ENDS is deeply concerned about inadequate funding for locally led initiatives. The UNCCD estimates that $4.6 trillion is needed to halt land degradation, yet current funding falls far short. The cost of inaction is immense. Land degradation costs the global economy billions, yet addressing it would require only a fraction of that amount. The problem is that funding for locally led actions remains insufficient. Both ENDS will advocate for increased public funding both through domestic resource mobilisation as from funders and donors in high-income countries to support locally led actions and initiatives for agroecology and restoration."

When would you consider COP16 a success?

"We would consider COP16 a success if it delivers significant progress in:

Securing funding for locally led initiatives, especially those promoting agroecology and women’s land rights.
Increasing financial contributions from high income countries to support inclusive land governance, sustainable land management and restoration.
Advancing the implementation of the UNCCD Gender Action Plan to ensure gender equality in land governance.
Prioritising agroecology as a key approach to drought resilience, sustainable land use, and ecosystem restoration.

For decades, our local partner organisations have been developing and promoting effective ways to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought. This includes regions like the drylands, as well as forests, and wetlands. Supporting these locally-led actions is essential to reversing negative trends. For COP16, Drynet has developed 10 recommendations to strengthen the implementation of the UNCCD. Success at COP16 would mean turning these recommendations into action, fostering inclusive land governance and sustainable land management practices globally. By enabling locally-led actions—particularly those led by women, youth, pastoralists, and Indigenous Peoples—we can build a more resilient future."