A significant figure has emerged from Ulan Bator: $1.3 billion. This is the commitment announced at COP17 to fund land restoration and drought resilience projects in 23 countries across five continents. A step forward, in the words of those who have been negotiating in the Mongolian capital over the past few days. But a step that remains small when compared to the magnitude of the problem.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) makes it clear: the resources available today cover only a small fraction of what would be needed each year to protect and restore the planet’s land areas. The gap remains enormous, and this is precisely where COP17 sought to make a fresh start, aiming to make land conservation an issue that also concerns banks, financial institutions, and private investors—not just environmental ministries.
The Price of Inaction
To understand the scale of the problem, we need only look at the ground beneath our feet. Much of the planet’s arable land has lost its fertility, and this means less food, less available water, greater vulnerability to drought, and a loss of biodiversity. In some cases, it also means people being forced to leave their land.
It’s a catch-22: doing nothing costs more than taking action. Failing to address land degradation costs nearly $900 billion each year, while healthy land can generate up to $1,800 billion through food, water, and carbon sequestration. The World Economic Forum estimates that every dollar invested in the land can generate a very high return. Yet soil and water conservation continues to receive only a small fraction of global climate finance.
We know how much it costs to do nothing; we know how much taking action could yield. But the gap between the two, for now, remains almost entirely to be bridged.
From Crisis to Prevention
One of the central themes that emerged from COP17 is the effort to shift our perspective: not to wait until a drought has already become an emergency before addressing it. Countries have reached a consensus on the need to shift from emergency management to preventive management, which means better planning of land use, restoring water to its natural functions, and learning to retain it in the soil before it is actually needed.
The IUCN deemed the ambition of the final decision to be still too modest. The issue will be back on the table at the next COP, scheduled to take place in Egypt in 2028. The challenge remains the same: to stop reacting to drought after it has already struck, and to start building regions capable of withstanding its impact before it arrives.
The Territories Under Negotiation
Mongolia, which hosted the conference, is perhaps the most symbolic place to understand just how real this challenge is: much of its territory is already classified as degraded, while the Gobi Desert continues to advance, kilometer by kilometer. Uzbekistan, too, presented a grim picture in Ulaanbaatar: according to reports during the conference, most of the country is now a desert or is turning into one.
At COP17, local communities sought to gain a greater voice in the negotiations. The Rangelands Flagship Initiative, dedicated to pastures and the livelihoods of pastoralist communities, was launched. The IUCN emphasized one point above all: without inclusive governance, without security of land tenure, and without the ability of pastoralist communities to continue moving, we won’t get very far.
The local dimension was also brought to the forefront through the first Mayors’ Forum, which brought together representatives from around the world. The participants signed a joint declaration, committing to quickly build a network of cities in arid regions and areas with extreme climates.
Now comes the hardest part
In Ulan Bator, investments, programs, partnerships, and new commitments were announced. That matters, but it’s not enough: no matter how ambitious it may be, an international conference alone cannot stop the desert’s advance.
The challenge begins now—in the hectares of land that will be restored, in the water we will be able to conserve, and in the ability of the most vulnerable communities to continue living in the places they call home.
Ultimately, the issue of desertification is about what the earth can still provide: food, water, jobs, biodiversity, and the chance for millions of people to have a future right where they live today. And this is the most important takeaway from COP17: protecting the soil is not a cost, but an investment in the planet’s—and our own—ability to keep going.
