UN desertification summit in Mongolia highlights accelerating drought and funding gaps

Representatives from almost 200 countries wrapped up the UN desertification talks in Ulaanbaatar, highlighting that climate-driven droughts are spreading to regions previously considered low-risk. Yasmine Fouad, the convention’s executive secretary, described droughts as increasingly frequent, intense and prolonged, linking their impact to soil health and water management. Delegates left without a decision on a binding global drought agreement, pushing the matter to the next meeting in Egypt.

The conference launched a rangelands initiative that aggregates $1.2 billion across 45 projects, and the Asian Development Bank committed an additional $2 billion for land-restoration efforts in the Asia-Pacific. Experts warned that meeting the estimated $355 billion annual funding need for land restoration by 2030 remains a major challenge, with current investment far short of the required level.