By Ramesh Jaura*
This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com/
BERLIN | 9 August 2025 (IDN) — In a world reeling from climate disruption, collapsing biodiversity, and mounting water and food insecurity, land has emerged as both a battleground and a beacon of hope. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) marks not only a pivotal leadership transition but also the beginning of a new chapter in a three-decade effort to rescue the world’s soils from collapse.
At a symbolic handover ceremony on 5 August at the UNCCD Secretariat, Mauritanian environmentalist Ibrahim Thiaw—who has led the Convention since 2019—entrusted the stewardship of the world’s only legally binding international treaty on land degradation to Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s former Minister of Environment.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand how degraded land turns into restored landscapes and revived livelihood—this transformation inspired every step of my journey,” said Thiaw, reflecting on his 40-year career. “I thank the UNCCD Parties for their support and warmly welcome the next Executive Secretary, Yasmine Fouad, to whom I entrust a stronger and more inclusive Secretariat with renewed momentum.”
Fouad, who served since 2018 as Egypt’s Environment Minister, brings over more than 25 years of environmental diplomacy experience at the intersection of climate, biodiversity and sustainable development, having chaired CBD COP14 and served as Envoy for UNFCCC COP27, leading negotiations on climate finance and nature-based solutions, said she is “deeply honoured to take up this mantle”.
She pledged to champion integrated solutions across land, climate and biodiversity and committed to building with all parties and stakeholders “ambitious comprehensive post-2030 targets” that amplify the voices of the most vulnerable.
But to understand the full weight of this transition, one must first trace the path that brought the UNCCD to this point—from a niche treaty of the 1990s to a keystone in today’s global sustainability architecture.
A Treaty Born of Crisis: The Origins of the UNCCD
The seeds of the UNCCD were sown amid crisis and neglect. In the 1970s and 1980s, catastrophic droughts and famine in Africa’s Sahel region shocked the world but prompted little long-term action. By the time the 1992 Rio Earth Summit convened, global attention was trained on climate change and biodiversity loss, sidelining desertification as a “regional” problem.
African nations lobbied hard, however, for a dedicated instrument to address the root causes of land degradation—poverty, unsustainable land use, and water scarcity. Their persistence paid off. In 1994, the United Nations adopted the UNCCD as the third “Rio Convention,” complementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The UNCCD’s unique focus on land degradation, desertification, and drought (DLDD) in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas made it a vital but often underestimated pillar of the global sustainability framework.
The Early Years: From Promise to Practice (1994–2010)
The UNCCD began with lofty aspirations but faced a steep uphill climb. It lacked the financial and political firepower of its sister conventions. Still, it laid essential groundwork by requiring countries to develop National Action Programmes (NAPs) tailored to their local contexts.
The early years focused heavily on Africa, where desertification was most visible. But as Latin America, Central Asia, and even Southern Europe began reporting increasing land degradation, it became clear this was not just a drylands issue.
Institutionally, the Convention experienced gradual development. The Secretariat’s location in Bonn, Germany—with Burkina Faso’s Hama Arba Diallo serving as the inaugural UNCCD Executive Secretary (1993-2007), succeeded by Benin’s Luc Gnacadja (2007-2013)—provided operational stability. Nevertheless, limited public awareness, restricted funding, and perceptions of desertification as a persistent challenge constrained its effectiveness.
Notably, Gnacadja demonstrated significant leadership, initiating synergies among the Rio Conventions in collaboration with the National Commission on Sustainable Development at the national level. He chaired various international ministerial conferences, meetings, and workshops focused on the environment, urban and regional development, and sustainable development, including the African Ministers Conference on Environment and the Commission on Sustainable Development. In March 2003, he received the “2002 Green Award” from the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Scaling Ambitions: A Global Agenda Emerges (2010–2018)
The turning point came with the global recognition that land degradation was both a driver and a consequence of climate change, biodiversity loss, and migration.
In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 15.3, which aims for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030. The UNCCD was designated as the custodian agency of this target.
This was a breakthrough moment: for the first time, land health was positioned as a measurable development goal on par with emissions or deforestation. Countries began submitting voluntary LDN targets, and the Convention’s relevance in multilateral forums expanded dramatically.
The Thiaw Era: Land Restoration as Global Imperative (2019–2025)
Mauritania’s Ibrahim Thiaw (2019-2025)—who took over from Morocco’s Monique Barbut (2013-2019)— is credited with bringing renewed energy to the Secretariat and redefining the Convention’s message: land is not a passive victim—it is a powerful solution.
Under his stewardship, the UNCCD shifted from a reactive framework to one focused on land restoration at scale. Thiaw championed projects like:
- The 8,000km long Great Green Wall across Africa’s Sahel—launched in 2007 by the African Union—aims to restore 100 million hectares and create 10 million jobs by 2030.
- The Middle East Green Initiative, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, aims to counter desertification in one of the world’s most arid regions.
- The G20 Global Land Restoration Initiative, which broadened political engagement beyond dryland countries.
Recognising that climate-induced droughts were becoming more frequent and deadly, Thiaw co-launched the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) in 2022 and the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership in 2024—both designed to mobilise political will and financial support for drought-prone regions.
Equity was another hallmark of his tenure. UNCCD’s COP16, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2024, resulted in landmark decisions ensuring meaningful participation for Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and smallholders. The Convention’s advocacy on women’s land rights gained traction at national and international levels.
But Thiaw also challenged the private sector. A 2024 study showed that only 6 per cent of land restoration investments came from private actors. In response, UNCCD launched the Business4Land Initiative and partnered with the World Economic Forum to bridge this gap.
Science and Policy: Bridging the Gap
To underpin its decisions with evidence, the Convention invested in strengthening its Science-Policy Interface (SPI). This culminated in COP16’s mandate for a more robust role of science in UNCCD governance.
Through global soil mapping, drought risk modelling, and land productivity tracking, the SPI now helps countries design evidence-based restoration plans, monitor progress, and anticipate future degradation hotspots.
The UNCCD’s synergy with IPCC (climate) and IPBES (biodiversity) has further integrated land into global environmental assessments, reinforcing the argument that land is the “connective tissue” between all major ecological crises.
Yasmine Fouad: A New Chapter in Global Land Governance
The arrival of Yasmine Fouad signals continuity—but also a pivot toward the post-2030 era. With just five years left until the SDG deadline, Fouad will be tasked with defining what comes next.
Fouad also inherits complex challenges: closing the finance gap for restoration, mainstreaming drought preparedness into national planning, and ensuring that digital technologies (e.g. AI, satellite monitoring) serve—not exclude—rural and Indigenous communities.
As the world confronts intersecting environmental and humanitarian crises, the importance of healthy land has never been more evident. From carbon sequestration and food security to water access and climate resilience, land sits at the centre of the global sustainability equation.
The UNCCD, once a quiet treaty on desertification, is now a frontline institution in humanity’s fight to repair the planet.
With Yasmine Fouad now leading the way, and a 30-year legacy to build upon, the UNCCD is poised to become not just the guardian of the world’s drylands—but the steward of tomorrow’s landscapes. [IDN-InDepthNews]
Original link: https://rjaura.substack.com/p/from-dust-to-hope-a-quiet-treaty
Related links: https://www.world-view.net/from-degradation-to-restoration-a-strategic-treaty-emerges-as-a-leading-global-initiative/
Top Image Source: UNCCD
