The seventeenth Convention of the Events to the U.N Conference to Fight Desertification (UNCCD COP17) was convened in Ulaanbaatar from August 17-28, bringing collectively 196 nation representatives plus the European Union to barter action-based measures on a number of local weather challenges dealing with the world right now. This 12 months’s COP17 included segments on finance, water, land and folks, and meals techniques. Events agreed on a brand new initiative that features $1.3 billion in financing, however did not approve a brand new monetary mechanism to fight drought.
On August 17, the opening ceremony was attended by Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, U.N. Deputy Secretary-Basic Amina J. Mohammed, Govt Secretary of the UNCCD Dr. Yasmin Fouad, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Atmosphere, Water and Agriculture (and president of UNCCD COP16) Dr. Osama Ibrahim Fakiha, and Mongolia’s Minister of International Affairs Batmunkh Battsetseg. The worldwide local weather gathering additionally included a go to by South Korea’s former president, Moon Jae-in, and enterprise leaders from Rio Tinto, Commerce Growth, Oyu Tolgoi, Asian Growth Financial institution, International Inexperienced Development Institute, and extra.
Welcoming the friends and opening the COP17 gathering, Mongolian Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor acknowledged: “The best change we wish to see from COP17 is a shift from discuss to motion, from targets to implementation, and from commitments to measurable outcomes.”
As Fouad, the UNCCD govt secretary, put it in an interview with The Diplomat earlier than the gathering: “COP17 comes at a pivotal second for international motion on land… I consider nations will come to Mongolia with a shared understanding that the problem is not understanding the issue – we all know what’s at stake. The precedence now’s implementation.”
Within the final two weeks, the Mongolian authorities, civil society, and environmental organizations cooperated with international monetary establishments, policymakers, companies, and environmental scientists to advance options to rising points dealing with not simply Mongolia however the globe, together with desertification, drought, and land degradation. Constructing on the progress made at COP16 in Riyadh, governments at COP17 aimed to barter sensible instruments, partnerships, and financing mechanisms wanted to assist nations flip current plans into motion.
In line with the UNCCD, greater than 70 nations have now developed nationwide drought plans, in contrast with solely three in 2013 – reflecting rising recognition that drought have to be managed proactively relatively than solely as soon as it turns into a humanitarian and financial disaster.
Desertification, land degradation, and local weather change are all interconnected and demand built-in options. In Mongolia, the problem contains excessive local weather fluctuations, reminiscent of dzud and drought, in addition to lack of water, water air pollution as a result of mining actions, in addition to mismanagement of rangelands and pastoralism. The mix of those points in flip turns into further hindrance to the nation’s growth.
The final two days of COP17 had been designated for all 197 events to come back to some kind of an settlement on a mechanism to fight drought. The Asian Growth Financial institution Partnership estimated $355 billion is required yearly to fight land degradation and drought, but present funding stands at solely round $77 billion, leaving an annual financing hole of $278 billion.
Sadly, on August 28, final day of the COP17, events failed to come back to an settlement and handed the difficulty to the following COP gathering.
One of many fundamental disagreements was whether or not to determine a brand new drought protocol initiated by the African Group. The bloc of developed nations – together with the European Union, Australia, and the UK – opposed the institution of a brand new drought protocol, preferring to make the most of beforehand agreed multilateral frameworks reminiscent of International Atmosphere Facility and to keep away from overlapping agreements.
Whereas drought – and a monetary mechanism to fight drought – posed a problem for the 197 events to barter, rangeland, pastoralism, and water deserve equal consideration.
One of the vital essential segments of COP17 was the Excessive-Stage Ministerial Assembly and Finance Day, the place delegates, multilateral banks, and taking part organizations announce strategic commitments and monetary mechanisms specializing in particular points reminiscent of land restoration, rangeland preservation, and invigorating environmentally pleasant, inexperienced development.
On the Excessive-Stage Ministerial Assembly, Mongolia formally launched the worldwide “Rangelands Flagship Initiative,” which give attention to sustainable administration and restoration of worldwide pasture lands. The initiative was seen as one of the essential outcomes of the local weather gathering. It is going to convey collectively 45 tasks throughout 23 nations, amounting to $1.3 billion in funding, making it the biggest funding within the rangelands sector within the historical past of the UNCCD Conference.
The monetary commitments can be assessed by the implementation of particular person tasks. Taking part governments are anticipated to contemplate a brand new coverage framework on rangelands and pastoralists designed to extend long-term funding in sustainable rangeland administration and strengthen pastoral livelihoods. The initiative additionally talked about the institution of an Eurasian Heart for Local weather-Resilient Rangelands in Mongolia.
On August 24, Enterprise for Land Discussion board and Finance Day introduced collectively authorities, companies, and buyers trying to put money into regenerative landscapes. The Enterprise Council of Mongolia and the UNCCD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to determine a Business4Land (B4L) platform and Mongolia Hub. The MoU “goals to hyperlink consumption, manufacturing, and finance by environmental and social requirements, in addition to monetary merchandise targeted on preserving pure capital.”
Furthermore, Mongolia additionally signed a Host Nation Settlement (HCA) with International Inexperienced Development Institute to strengthen the authorized and institutional framework for local weather financing and augmenting funding environments for inexperienced tasks.
The director of the Protected Areas Coverage Division at Mongolia’s Ministry of Atmosphere and Local weather Change, Uranchimeg Tserendorj, acknowledged that for the final 32 years, Mongolia’s Legislation on Protected Areas has protected land throughout the nation. The authorized framework has allowed the nation to guard “20.8 p.c of land,” Uranchimeg stated.
Mongolia can also be looking for a deeper action-based cooperation with each UNCCD and the Ramsar Conference on Wetlands. Mongolia’s Atmosphere and Local weather Change Minister Sandag-Ochir Tsend met Ramsar Conference Secretary Basic Dr. Musonda Mumba, “proposing nearer cooperation between the Ramsar Conference and U.N. Conference to Fight Desertification (UNCCD) throughout Mongolia’s COP17 presidency.”
At COP17, mining giants reminiscent of Rio Tinto introduced their technique to contribute to Mongolia’s battle towards desertification, water air pollution, and restoration of forestry by planting 5,000 hectares of forest, investing in renewable vitality for firm utilization, in addition to introducing new expertise to replenish groundwater. In line with the environmental supervisor of Oyu Tolgoi, one in every of Mongolia’s largest mining firms, the agency started paying water air pollution charges in 2026, a daily quarterly cost of 150-200 million Mongolian tugrik (roughly $42,000 to $55,000). These practices meant to set an instance for different mining giants working within the nation.
Within the final two weeks, international companions gathered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to debate and negotiate a difficulty that has lengthy been a spotlight for local weather advocates. Mongolia’s internet hosting of the UNCCD COP17 is seen as a step up in its international engagement and contribution and dedication to local weather change. Contemplating the nation’s personal wrestle with wetland loss, drought, rangeland and pastoral administration, the platform urged international companies, authorities, and civil society to take actions to assist contribute clear up these challenges.
Though the conference didn’t attain an settlement on fixing drought, it has made progress in selling and implementing international partnership in local weather points.