COP17: $1.3bn Pledged for Land Restoration and Drought Resilience Across 23 Countries

A United Nations summit on desertification and land degradation has ended in Mongolia with a new $1.3 billion financing portfolio for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries, while governments postponed a key decision on whether to create a legally binding global framework for drought.

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) concluded in Ulaanbaatar on Friday after two weeks of negotiations involving representatives from the convention's 197 parties, alongside development banks, businesses, scientists, civil society groups and communities affected by land degradation.

The financing package was presented as one of the summit's major practical outcomes. Governments, development banks, funds and companies announced a combined portfolio worth $1.3 billion for projects covering land restoration, drought resilience and locally led adaptation in 23 countries across five continents. Of that amount, about $644.5 million was identified as new financing, with $216.4 million already confirmed and moving towards implementation.

A separate Rangelands Flagship Initiative emerged as another major financial commitment, bringing together about $1.2 billion across 45 projects focused on sustainable management and restoration of rangelands and support for pastoralist livelihoods. Rangelands cover more than half of the Earth's land surface and support around two billion people, making their condition closely linked to food security, livelihoods and biodiversity.

The emphasis on rangelands was particularly significant for Africa, where pastoralist communities across the Sahel and other dryland regions are dealing with pressure from drought, land degradation, changing rainfall patterns and competition over natural resources. UNCCD discussions at the summit specifically examined investment opportunities in regions including Ethiopia and the Sahel, while placing greater emphasis on pastoralists as custodians of degraded landscapes.

The summit also launched the Drought Resilience Investment Facility, designed to mobilise up to $400 million for water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions and land restoration. The facility is intended to help move drought management away from emergency response and towards preparedness, early action and long-term investment.

But the financial announcements came alongside a significant diplomatic setback. Governments did not reach agreement on a proposed legally binding global drought regime. Instead, negotiations on proactive drought management will continue, with the issue expected to return as a stand-alone agenda item at COP18.

That unresolved issue matters because drought is becoming an increasingly disruptive problem across regions that traditionally have not experienced it at the same intensity. The UN says land degradation affects up to 40 per cent of the world's land, with consequences for food production, water availability, livelihoods and economic stability. The organisation has also warned that the annual financing needed to meet global land restoration targets is far above current investment levels.

The funding gap remains particularly stark. UNCCD estimates indicate that around $355 billion a year is required between 2025 and 2030 to meet land restoration and related targets, compared with approximately $77 billion currently being invested. That leaves a gap of roughly $278 billion each year, meaning the $1.3 billion announced in Mongolia, while substantial in individual projects, represents only a fraction of the resources required globally.

Mongolia's choice as host gave the summit an unusually direct connection to the problems under discussion. The country has experienced severe pressure on its grasslands and pastoral economy, with the UN Development Programme estimating that nearly 77 per cent of Mongolia's land is degraded. Drought, climate change, overgrazing and declining pasture quality have put additional pressure on traditional herding communities.

The conference therefore sought to shift the conversation from declarations towards implementation. UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said the real test of the summit would be what happens after delegates leave Ulaanbaatar, rather than the announcements made during the conference. That emphasis reflects a growing frustration in environmental diplomacy: countries can agree on ambitious restoration targets, but the results ultimately depend on money reaching projects and communities on the ground.

For Africa, the stakes are especially high. Much of the continent's agriculture and pastoral economy depends on fragile dryland ecosystems, while repeated droughts can deepen food insecurity, displace communities and intensify pressure over water and grazing land. The new financing initiatives could provide opportunities for African governments and local communities, but their impact will depend on whether investment reaches vulnerable regions at sufficient scale and whether local people have a meaningful role in deciding how land and water are managed.

COP17 has therefore produced a mixed result. It delivered new money, investment mechanisms and stronger attention to rangelands and drought preparedness, but left one of the summit's most politically difficult questions unresolved. The broader significance is that the global fight against desertification is moving increasingly from an environmental issue into a question of food security, migration, economic stability and human security. The $1.3 billion announced in Mongolia is a step towards addressing that challenge, but the much larger test will be whether governments can turn commitments into restored land, resilient communities and reliable livelihoods before degradation and drought move faster than the response.