On the DDD we emphasize the transformative power of Sustainable Land Management to avoid, reduce, and reverse land degradation. This year's global observance is hosted in Bonn, Germany, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by GIZ, bringing together civil society, international organisations, private sector, academia and government responsible for cooperation and action. Nicole Harari from the WOCAT Executive Team will discuss about building a sustainable future for the next generations by learning from experiences and best practices.

Related to this year's Desertification and Drought Day, GIZ ProSoil is organizing three online Events:

12 June: Assessing the Economics of Land Degradation: A case study from Tunisia. More infos

25 June: Lessons from a decade of implementing a transformative approach to soil protection and rehabilitation in Benin. More info

5 July: 10 Years of ProSoil: Sharing knowledge on good practices in soil protection and rehabilitation through the WOCAT Database. More infos

Sharing a common vision over rangelands, FAO and several key partner such as CIFOR-ICRAF, WOCAT, IUCN, SLU, ARC, and IYRP, proudly announce the launch of the 2nd Drylands Summer School. The Summer School is funded by the UNCCD's G20 GLI and will take place at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi, Kenya, from 12-15 September 2024. It targets experts, planners and policy makers who have expertise or operational responsibilities in management of drylands production systems. The focus of this second edition is on monitoring drylands and agrosilvopastoral systems towards climate change and sustainability. The deadline for receiving application forms is 5 July, 2024.

WOCAT, the UNCCD Secretariat and WeCaN are launching a call for expression of interest to collect country-specific gender-disaggregated data on Sustainable Land Management practices. We invite stakeholders worldwide to apply the gender-responsive SLM tool in their local contexts from September to November 2024. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to global gender equality efforts in Sustainable Land Management.

After "Fields of Harmony: Pulses and Sustainable Land Management", another two compilations of good practices have been released as part of GIZ ProSoil project: "Harvesting Tomorrow: Advancing Sustainable land management for Soil Fertility" and "Sowing sustainability: Agroecology and Sustainable Land Management in Synergy". The former highlights SLM practices that contribute to improved soil fertility and enhanced soil health, the latter addresses the emerging debate around the relationship between agroecology and regenerative agriculture.

On the occasion of Desertification and Drought Day 2024, we are pleased to announce the new WOCAT Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Sustainable Land Management.

This fund will serve as a sustainable funding mechanism, consolidating various sources to streamline WOCAT's global and regional operations and enhance management efficiency. It will particularly strengthen the establishment of new WOCAT regional clusters and support small, innovative SLM projects on the ground. The fund is currently being established and will be officially launched at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024.

The United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) report "The contribution of land and water management approaches to Sustainable Land Management and achieving Land Degradation Neutrality" is out now. This report is a direct response to the UNCCD Decision 19/COP.15/23/Add.1.

Additional to the policy brief, there is also a scientific article available on the same topic.