UN Summit Secures $1.3B to Restore Land in 23 Countries

Twenty-three countries on five continents are getting a major lifeline in the fight against land degradation and drought. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification wrapped up its 17th conference in Mongolia this week with a $1.3 billion financing deal that puts real money behind the urgent work of restoring damaged land.

The deal includes $644.5 million in brand new funding, with $216.4 million already confirmed and moving toward action. Governments, development banks, and companies came together to support projects ranging from landscape restoration to helping communities adapt to worsening droughts.

The timing couldn't be more critical. Up to 40 percent of Earth's land is now degraded, threatening food security and livelihoods for billions of people worldwide.

The conference put special focus on rangelands, the grasslands and prairies that cover more than half of Earth's land surface. These vital ecosystems support around two billion people and are managed by 500 million pastoralists who have sustained these lands for generations.

A centerpiece of the summit was the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, which brings together $1.2 billion across 45 projects. The initiative will support sustainable rangeland management, restoration work, and the livelihoods of pastoralist communities whose traditional knowledge is key to success.

The summit also launched the Drought Resilience Investment Facility, a new financing platform designed to mobilize up to $400 million in public and private capital. The funds will support water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions, and land restoration projects.

Over 25,000 participants joined the two-week conference in Ulaanbaatar, representing all 197 member nations of the convention.

The Ripple Effect

The real test begins now. UN Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad told journalists that the summit's legacy won't be measured by announcements but by what happens next on the ground.

The funding addresses a massive gap. Scientists estimate that $355 billion is needed annually through 2030 to meet global land restoration commitments, but only about $77 billion is currently being invested each year.

Countries have committed to restoring more than one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. This new financing package moves that ambitious goal closer to reality.

Mongolia's leadership of the conference proved fitting. As the host during the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, the country launched three major initiatives under its Steppe Plan focused on rangelands, water-land connections, and nature-based infrastructure solutions.

The next conference will take place in Egypt in 2028, where nations will assess progress and build on the momentum from Mongolia.