UNCCD COP17: Key Takeaways on Grasslands and Drought Resilience

The 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, between 17 and 28 August 2026 with the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” The topics discussed in the conference included land degradation, desertification, drought resilience and sustainable management of rangelands. The conference became very special for that year as 2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. India released its very first Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), which pointed out the significance of such open lands.

What is the UNCCD?

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a legally binding international treaty set up in 1994 to combat desertification, land degradation and drought. This convention aims at promoting sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration as well as cooperation among nations.

Desertification means land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid zones caused by climate change and human factors including unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing and improper land and water management.

The UNCCD is one of the Rio Conventions along with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

UNCCD COP17 Highlights Related To Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONES)

Focus on Drought Resilience

• Drought resilience became one of the main priorities at COP17. The discussion focused on the need to shift from responding to crises to taking actions before, creating early warning mechanisms, being prepared and resilient.
• The UNCCD identified four areas: transformative drought governance, innovative financing, science-based monitoring and early warning systems and enhanced international partnerships.

Increased Focus on Grasslands and Rangelands

• The rangelands cover more than half of the land on Earth. They play an important role in food production, hosting biodiversity, providing pastoral livelihoods, regulating water and carbon sequestration. Nevertheless, about half of the rangelands of the world are regarded as degraded due to land use changes, unsustainable grazing and climate change.
• Therefore, COP17 gave increased attention to sustainable grazing, restoration, pastoral livelihoods and nature-based solutions.
• This aspect was relevant because 2026 became the year of rangelands and pastoralists.

Guide To Grasslands and Open Natural Ecosystems Developed in India

India introduced its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at COP17 on 17 August 2026.

The guide is dedicated to the diversity and importance of India’s grasslands, savannas, deserts and other open natural ecosystems. Moreover, the guide points out that the conservation process must not be only about the forest. Open ecosystems serve ecological functions and host biodiversity and livelihoods.

This information is especially important for India as the country’s grasslands and other open ecosystems host pastoral communities, livestock, wildlife and ecosystems services. Science-based assessment and appropriate restoration can help prevent the loss and degradation of these ecosystems.

Importance of UNCCD COP17

Land degradation has impacts on food security, water availability, biodiversity, livelihood and climate resilience. Restoration of degraded land would therefore contribute to achieving a number of Sustainable Development Goals.

At the same time, COP17 highlighted the economic and social importance of land restoration. Sustainable management of rangelands would help in improving the soil, water conservation, carbon sequestration and resilience of livelihood.

From an Indian perspective, the topic is very important because droughts, land degradation, desertification and ecosystem degradation are of great relevance for agriculture and livelihoods.