Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed stated that land degradation affects up to 40 percent of the planet's land, compromising global food production and livelihoods, with droughts increasing in frequency and duration by 29 percent since 2000.
Speaking at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) meeting in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ms. Mohammed highlighted a significant financing gap: While $355 billion is needed annually for land restoration, current investments total only about $77 billion. The cost of inaction could reach $878 billion per year.
She stressed that investing in land restoration is also an economic imperative, estimating restoration could bring $1.8 trillion in annual benefits and return $7 to $30 per dollar invested. Healthy land is described as productive capital, including soil, watersheds, and rangelands.
The deputy chief urged governments to move beyond isolated projects and implement national plans with assured resources, rather than leaving countries to seek funding individually. She called for subsidy reforms, integration of land and drought resilience into fiscal planning, and encouraged multilateral development banks to facilitate private investment through guarantees, concessional financing, and other instruments, with a focus on small farmers and local businesses.