The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) spotlighted promising land restoration efforts on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, amid a global crisis where 40% of the world's land faces degradation and drought, endangering the livelihoods of over three billion people.

At the UN desertification conference held from August 17 to 28 in Mongolia, three land rejuvenation programs were awarded. Together, these initiatives aim to restore almost five million hectares—an area comparable to nearly seven million football fields—by 2030.

UNCCD chief Yasmine Fouad emphasized the effectiveness of these programs, stating, “These [programmes] show that restoration works. They demonstrate that investing in nature strengthens resilience, supports livelihoods and delivers tangible benefits for people and communities.” She also noted the UN's commitment to the global goal of restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Among the recognized projects is the Restoring Brazil's Cerrado Savannah initiative, which addresses the loss of over half of the native vegetation in the Cerrado—a biodiverse tropical savannah covering about a quarter of Brazil’s land. This loss has impacted Indigenous Peoples’ rights, food production, and water availability. The initiative unites over 180 partners across nine Brazilian states, employing natural regeneration, direct seeding, restoration, and agroforestry with native species.

In the Sahel region, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative has, since 2018, improved food security and livelihoods for more than four million people by rehabilitating over 335,000 hectares of land and enhancing agricultural production. Monitoring indicates that 75% of the program’s sites show improved soil and vegetation conditions, with an 11% decline in households needing humanitarian aid during the lean season.

These efforts highlight the growing recognition that land degradation, drought, and ecosystem loss are critical challenges to food and water security as well as economic stability worldwide.

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