Land degradation is no longer a distant environmental concern. It is already affecting farmers, families, and communities through declining soil quality, water scarcity, drought, and growing pressure on food systems. The way we manage and restore our land will have a direct impact on our ability to build resilient societies and secure a sustainable future.
In Ulaanbaatar, COP17 emphasizes the theme ‘Restoring Land, Restoring Hope’. This theme speaks to more than ecology. It speaks to livelihoods, to dignity, and to resilience. Climate change is bringing more frequent droughts, degrading soil, and putting food security at risk, especially in developing countries.
Land restoration is not just an environmental investment; Restoring land is restoring climate, economy, health, life, and culture. This is why land restoration should be seen not only as an environmental priority, but as a climate, economic, and social priority.
Food security begins with the soil beneath our feet. Every meal on our tables ultimately depends on healthy land, sufficient water and resilient ecosystems. When we allow our land to deteriorate, we are not only losing fertile soil—we are putting the future of our children at risk.
For a farmer, degraded land can mean a failed harvest. For a family, it can mean higher food prices and difficult choices. And for a country, it can mean greater dependence, vulnerability and instability.
For us as parliamentarians, this means that combating land degradation cannot remain solely an environmental agenda. It must become part of our broader agenda for economic resilience, social protection, food and water security, and sustainable development.
We need to move from reacting to land degradation towards preventing it, restoring degraded ecosystems and building societies that are more resilient to drought and climate change.
Restoring degraded land is one of the key solutions to addressing climate change. Healthy soils, forests, grasslands, wetlands and other land ecosystems act as natural carbon sinks. In fact, UNCCD estimates that restoring degraded land could remove around 3 billion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every single year.
As the first of the three Rio Convention COPs taking place in 2026, UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar is an important opportunity to put land restoration at the centre of climate resilience and sustainable development.
A major focus is moving from reactive drought response to proactive drought preparedness—including early warning, vulnerability assessment, drought planning, financing and international cooperation. More than 70 countries now have national drought plans.
2026 is the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Rangelands cover more than half of the world’s land surface and support around two billion people. COP17 is seeking stronger investment, policies, and recognition of pastoralists as land stewards.
One of the biggest challenges is the financing gap. UNCCD estimates that around $355 billion per year is needed for land degradation and drought, compared with approximately $77 billion currently invested—a gap of about $278 billion annually.
Azerbaijan’s experience demonstrates the importance of an integrated approach.
Azerbaijan has developed a comprehensive legal and policy framework covering land management, forests, environmental protection, biodiversity and protected areas. Our Land Code, Forest Code, legislation on environmental protection and specially protected natural areas, as well as the Law on the Protection of Green Areas, provide an important foundation for sustainable land and ecosystem management.
Azerbaijan is promoting sustainable urbanization, resilient economic growth, clean air, and a greener environment. Through hosting two major UN events—the UNFCCC COP29 and the biggest World Urban Forum, WUF13—we shared our experiences, learned from others, and continued our efforts.
Azerbaijan is moving from climate commitments to accelerated implementation. Under its new NDC 3.0, the country has committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 percent by 2035. At the same time, Azerbaijan is accelerating the development of renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing methane emissions, promoting electric mobility and investing in modern electricity infrastructure. Our ambition is not only to reduce emissions, but also to build a more resilient, diversified and sustainable economy.
A major priority is to transform Azerbaijan into a green-energy producer and exporter, particularly by developing renewable-energy potential in the country’s liberated territories and connecting it to regional electricity markets.
The restoration of degraded landscapes in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories represents an additional major challenge and opportunity. Mine and unexploded ordnance contamination, land degradation, damage to infrastructure, and impacts on natural ecosystems have created significant environmental restoration needs.
Azerbaijan therefore increasingly approaches restoration as integrated landscape restoration, rather than simply tree planting. This approach encompasses soil, water, forests, biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.