At least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land are lost each year, according to new UN data that warns land is degrading faster than it can be restored. Such statistics underscore the need for urgent action, as accelerating land degradation continues to destabilize markets, communities, and ecosystems.

At the end of October, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) launched of its first-ever Data Dashboard, which compiles national reporting figures from 126 countries that shows land degradation is advancing at an “astonishing rate across all regions.” The Dashboard was launched in advance of the 21st session of the UNCCD Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 21), during which governments will review global progress made toward achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). 

Meeting for the first time in Central Asia, CRIC-21 will “serve as a global platform for cutting-edge insights into land degradation and drought” while assessing progress made in restoring productive land. 

With a substantial agenda, CRIC-21 will also:

• address progress made with respect to the UNCCD’s strategic objectives, which encompass, among others, sustainable land management, drought resilience, ensuring fair land rights for women, and tackling sand and dust storms and wildfires, which are exacerbated by climate change;
• review the assessment of implementation of the UNCCD along the Strategic Objectives of the 2018-2030 UNCCD Strategic Framework and its implementation framework;
• hear updates on specific activities supporting parties in their voluntary LDN target-setting efforts and on how they advance action towards implementation with support from the Global Mechanism and relevant Partners, including the LDN Fund;
• hear a progress report from the Intergovernmental Working Group on effective policy and implementation measures for addressing drought; and
• include participatory consultations on conclusions and recommendations of the independent assessment to identify possible future action to enhance implementation of the Strategic Framework.

The Government of Uzbekistan is also organizing a high-level event on Sand and Dust Storms. In addition, two sessions of the Gender Caucus will take place.

CRIC-21 is meeting during a period of increasing environmental turbulence, including heatwaves in Europe and North America, droughts in the Horn of Africa, and monsoons and cyclones across Asia. According to UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, “The significance of land degradation as both a contributor to and a consequence of these phenomena cannot be overstated.” While difficult to achieve, LDN targets are still within reach, according to the UNCCD. However, if current trends persist, 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land worldwide would need to be restored by 2030 to achieve Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3 on LDN.

The CRIC was established in 2001, as a subsidiary body to the Conference of Parties (COP), to assist the COP in regularly reviewing implementation of the Convention. It is also an integral part of the Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS).  

CRIC-21 is taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 13-17 November 2023 at the Silk Road Samarkand Congress Centre.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting are Leila Mead; Wangu Mwangi; and H. Wilkins. The Digital Editor is Ángeles Estrada. The Editor is Pam Chasek, Ph.D.