Summary of proceedings for Rio Conventions Pavilion UNCCD COP 12 - 15 October 2015 Sustainable Development Goals Day (GEF, WRI and ICRAF)

Today’s RCP session opened with a bang as Dennis Garrity, UNCCD drylands Ambassador, explored the ins and outs of Evergreen Agriculture. The audience learned the specifics of what it is, as well as how it contributes to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).  Evergreen Agriculture’s techniques are varied, but dovetail with conservation agriculture, pastoralism, and other production systems.  In a panel discussion, representatives of the African Union Commission, EcoAgriculture Partners, FAO, the GEF and IUCN, showed their support for this approach.  The techniques integrate well with global restoration initiatives like the Great Green Wall, the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests. It is important to add that GEF financing would be able to support it.  Just before the lunch break civil society organizations (CSOs) discussed their role in achieving the SDGs.  Panelists explored agroecology in different parts of Africa, presented a project across 11 Sahel countries which promotes the collection of acacia gum, and evaluated synergies between the different Rio conventions.  Privileging genetic diversity, agroecology uses a multidimensional approach to address the challenges of rural development. Further, this method is an effective way to halt land degradation, deal with food security issues and achieve SDG 15.  SOS-Sahel’s project to promote acacia harvesting shows the importance of education and access to markets for farmers in order to create income opportunities. The panelists pressed that the Rio Conventions must coordinate between themselves in the future, instead of working in separate silos.

Over the lunch hour, a model for assessing and addressing land degradation issues based on public health policy was presented. Lessons learned from the health sector can help define and measure dynamic conditions of land degradation.  Because land degradation is caused by so many factors, as are many preventable diseases, it can be assessed with risk models used by the public health sector.  Evaluating the cost effectiveness land degradation interventions could use similar preventative public health models and tools already in use. Landpotential.org, an online and mobile phone platform for land monitoring was presented as complementary to this. The tools concerning soil data and crop production are available to farmers via mobile phones and can analyse plants and soil at the same time. Excitingly, actors around the world are able to develop custom applications and databases according to their own needs by using open source code. The private sector is also a possible partner.

People meandered into the cool Pavilion shade in the afternoon to listen to Clinton Muller open a discussion about Landcare. This landscape approach to sustainable land management and restoration takes the notion of social capital seriously.  Landcare is based on integrated natural resource management, is community based, develops sustainable livelihoods using empowerment strategies – all while developing capacity at the government, community and individual level.  It builds active partnerships and integrates government policies.  Presenters discussed how Landcare has been implemented in Iceland and South Africa, including a transboundary project with Namibia and Botswana.  All projects were successful in mobilising communities but did require government engagement.  Commenting on Landcare, Dennis Garrity raised the potential challenges of integrating it with large scale restoration projects the international community is rolling out.  There is a need to find ways to reconcile the bottom-up community driven approach of Landcare with top-down logic of large projects.

The day closed with an impassioned speech by Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, and former CEO for the GEF.  She said the GEF is uniquely positioned to realise synergy between the three Rio Conventions.  Given the importance of land to improving livelihoods around the world, she said it should be mentioned not only in the context of target 15.3, but a number of other SDGs. As the SDGs are implemented, she said, we must be certain they are delivered in drylands countries.  GEF Secretariat gave presentations that outlined GEF support and integration with the SDGs. A review of GEF programming, including the GEF-6 replenishment, showed the alignment of focal areas with the SDGs.  A presentation on the Land Degradation Focal Area and the SDGs outlined the integrated delivery model of the GEF-6 strategy that adds themes from the SDGs. GEF activities focus on food security, climate smart agriculture and sustainable land management.  The success of the GEF-China Partnership for land restoration, begun in 2002, was explained by a representative of China. 

Wrapping up discussions, Ulrich Apel of the GEF said this day showed the strength and usefulness of the Rio Pavilion as a place to bring together perspectives of CSOs, the GEF, agriculture and others.  Delegates continued the discussion over a delicious dinner buffet.

Summary of proceedings for Rio Conventions Pavilion UNCCD COP 12 - 14 October 2015: Day for Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Sustainable Land Managers

Organised by UNDP’s Equator Initiative and its network of partners, the day was dedicated to highlighting the experience of local communities that demonstrate sustainable development in practice. 

The morning session began early with a dialogue and knowledge exchange among winners of the Equator Prize, including those who participated in the WIN Dialogues.  During the morning’s conversations, the challenge of scaling up efforts within regions and between communities was a shared perspective. The importance of developing good relationships with local and national state agencies was seen as important.  Transboundary coordination was another common theme, with groups noting how communities in different countries had to find common strategies even as they faced different governments.  The need for the donor community to harmonise its reporting and project management requirements was a shared suggestion.

The morning session “Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Implementation of the Rio Conventions: Combating Desertification, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss Post-2015” brought together representatives of the UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD secretariat, with representatives of local communities from Kenya and Ghana.  The presentations showed how the objectives of all three environmental conventions are inter-related. The discussions focused on how local community actions in favour of sustainable livelihoods in areas of ecotourism, animal rearing and handicrafts can be a practical and concrete way to create sustainable development.

Over lunchtime, participants took an in-depth look at the “The Better Land Use Better Future for All” project implemented by UNDP’s Equator Initiative, OSISA and ENDA Tiers Monde.  The project had the goal of improving socio economic development of sub-Saharan Africa through sustainable land management.  The project goal was to empower organizations, scale up their efforts and improve the power of grassroots organizations.  Participants to the meeting hope for greater civil society organization participation will take place at the national level and within the context of the UNCCD process. The session ended with a call by several participants for the UNCCD process to recognise and support these community initiatives as a means to support implementation of the UNCCD.

The afternoon panel on “Building Resilience in Dryland Ecosystems”   explored a number of projects by Equator Prize winners.  Presentations on projects from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Togo showed that a landscape approach appears to be the best way forward as it allowed the projects to address the multidimensional nature of building resilience.  The projects showed that learning and research were key to project design, while diversification of agricultural systems is an important component as well.  Further, it is obvious that the government policy environment is an extremely important determinant for success.  Above all, the projects showed that communities can build resilience when a multistakeholder approach is used.

The closing panel for the day addressed food insecurity and looked at examples of the best sustainable land management practices which strengthened community livelihoods.  Presentations of projects from Chad, Niger, South Africa and Niger showed the importance of mixing science with local traditional knowledge.  They also highlighted the overwhelmingly important role of women in building food security.  For all four case studies, the conclusion emerged that women’s improved access to land, markets and technology lead to improved agricultural production and better community livelihoods.

As the sun set, the day closed with the launch of the book “Stories of Resilience: Lessons from sub-Saharan Drylands Communities.”  The 15 stories in the book, drawn from the experiences of Equator Prize winners, match the story of each community with policy recommendations.  The stories show how local efforts in building resilience can help build national sustainable development goals and contribute to land degradation neutrality (LDN).

The Rio Conventions Pavilion at UNCCD COP-12: Events for Tuesday 13 October 2015

Organised by the Ӧz Orman-iş Trade Union, morning sessions focused on the role of Trade Unions in combating desertification and land degradation. Participants expressed their condolences for the families of the victims of the bomb attack in Ankara on 10 October 2015 and joined in solidarity with the Turkish people.

Settar Aslan opened the day and reminded participants that Ӧz Orman-iş is accredited to the UNCCD process. He said that patterns of rural development affect land degradation and desertification.  Policies that improve rural employment and steer it towards sustainability help prevent degradation.  Mahmoud Arslan, the director general of Hak-iş spoke of the role it has played at national and international levels.  Marcos Montoiro, NGO and Civil Society Officer of UNCCD, was glad to have trade unions participating and hoped that today’s discussion would contribute to the operationalization of land degradation neutrality under the UNCCD.

A presentation by Gazi University Academic Lecturer & Assistant Professor, Dr. Erdiniç Yazici explored the relationship between desertification, poverty and famine and showed that the wrong policies can cause land degradation.  Where land rights are not well developed, land degradation is accelerated. Civil society organizations, including trade unions are irreplaceable in solving the problem.

Speakers from Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Eritrea, Morocco, Tanzania and Uganda spoke to show international solidarity and the key role of trade unions in combating land degradation. They said they were ready to join in the fight against desertification and unanımously agreed on a declaration that wıll  be ıncluded ın  the UNCCD COP 12 report. 

During the afternoon, the Pavilion hosted an interactive dialogue among youth delegates from Turkey.  Led by Professor Emre Aydin of Ankara University, the wide ranging discussion touched on the status and impact of education; ways to engage the UNCCD process over the next two years and how to prepare for careers in sustainable land management.  Discussions will continue informally over the next days.

The Global Mechanism (GM) hosted an evening reception under the theme: “From Pilots to Scale – Supporting Countries to Translate the Convention into Action.”  Markus Repnik, the new Managing Director (MD) of the GM and his team showed that the Global Mechanism is on the move to support action for land degradation neutrality (LDN).  Work to mobilise the private sector for a LDN Fund were presented, along with projects that support climate resilient development.  The GM is ready to support countries that choose to establish LDN targets. The new website, launched today, was also celebrated under the stars.