By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Mongolia, 24 August 2026 - Kenya has called for increased investment in land restoration and drought resilience as countries seek to address growing threats to food and water security linked to land degradation and climate change.
Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mlongo Barasa made the call during the high-level opening of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The summit brought together global leaders, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, former Costa Rican president Carlos Alvarado, former South Korean president Moon Jae-in and UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad.
Speakers at the opening said food and water security are fundamentally anchored in land security, warning that land degradation is a critical risk multiplier that threatens livelihoods, ecosystems and economic stability.
They called for COP17 to move beyond isolated and small-scale projects towards large-scale investments capable of delivering measurable results on the ground.
The summit emphasised the need for countries to develop investment-ready, country-led project pipelines and build strategic partnerships that can directly link climate and development finance to implementation.
Participants also stressed the importance of strengthening drought resilience, including through initiatives such as the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), as countries grapple with increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.
The discussions further highlighted the close relationship between biodiversity, healthy soils, air and water, with delegates urging governments to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions on future generations.
Technology and artificial intelligence were identified as important tools that could support better land management, climate resilience and decision-making.
The summit also called for greater participation of women and young people in environmental and climate decisions, stressing that they should have an equal role in shaping solutions to the challenges facing communities.
Pastoralism also featured prominently in discussions, with Gandelgar Togoch challenging the perception that pastoralist mobility is a problem.
He argued that mobility is instead an adaptation and conservation strategy that enables pastoralists to sustainably manage fragile ecosystems.
“For pastoralists, mobility is not a problem but a solution,” Togoch said, describing pastoralists as true conservationists.
The discussions come amid growing global concern over land degradation, drought, desertification and their implications for food production, water availability and livelihoods.
COP17 is expected to provide a platform for countries and development partners to strengthen commitments to land restoration, drought resilience and sustainable land management, while mobilising the financing needed to turn commitments into projects on the ground.
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