WOCAT

Meet us at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia between August 17 and 28. As the knowledge partner of the UNCCD, WOCAT will be featured in the plenary sessions related to SLM and LDN knowledge exchange, capacity building and reporting, and share latest SLM and LDN evidence, tools and insights with our partners during side events.

We look forward to engaging with Country Parties and all other stakeholders throughout the conference.

Desertification and Drought Day 2026 invites us to

• Recognize rangelands’ economic contribution to national and regional economies, their role in sustaining biodiversity and wildlife and the multiple benefits they provide, from regulating water cycles to storing carbon
• Respect pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, whose mobility, customary governance systems and ecological knowledge are essential to maintaining the health and productivity of these landscapes
• Restore rangelands by investing in sustainable land and water management, strengthening governance, improving drought preparedness and supporting community-led restoration efforts

WOCAT calls for all that are commited to recognize, respect and restore rangelands, to 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 on rangelands restoration, to 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 and to 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 with your community.

Dive in and learn about WOCAT's new role as a Global Technical Adviser for the 2026 UNCCD reporting process, news from the global database, events and learning opportunities. Together we are continuing our work towards sustainable land management and land degradation neutrality!

This new documentation highlights a participatory habitat protection initiative designed to safeguard vital wetlands for the endangered white-naped crane in Mongolia's eastern steppe. By combining herder-led grazing agreements with youth Eco-Club monitoring, this community-driven approach reverses wetland degradation, improves livestock water access, and secures immediate crane breeding success. The documentation of this practice has been facilitated by WWF Mongolia, local government authorities, and the Ulz River Basin Administration.