Because land is a shared resource, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has, from the outset, given civil society organisations (CSOs) a special role. They are represented by a panel comprising five members, each from a major region of the world. This panel ensures continuity between sessions: it communicates decisions to regional organisations, gathers their feedback from the field, consolidates it and passes it on to the negotiators. “We applaud the UNCCD for this!” said Ellen Otaru Okedion, the panel’s representative for Africa, during a roundtable discussion on the role of civil society in the COP, held on 27 March at the Désertif’actions summit.

Civil society participation is ‘not quite a foregone conclusion’

“Unfortunately, the involvement of civil society organisations is not a given; we still have to fight for that right,” emphasised Philippine Dutailly, France’s negotiator for this convention. For the expert, these tensions reflect the “brutalisation of international relations”, marked by the proliferation of conflicts, the resurgence of national interests, but also the questioning of the role of science in multilateral negotiations. As they could not be included on the agenda, two issues that are nonetheless fundamental to the future of the convention could not be discussed at CRIC23: the intergovernmental working group on the future strategic framework of the convention post-2030, established in Riyadh specifically to plan for the future, and the role of science in the convention’s decision-making process, namely that of the SPI (Science-Policy Interface).

This body, made up of independent scientists, has a mandate to “translate science into language that is understandable and actionable for decision-makers”, explained Manon Albagnac, a project officer at CARI and a member of the body. It is a sort of “IPCC for desertification, without the IPCC’s aura”, she added. Yet whilst its workload is increasing, this body is seeing its resources stagnate. It nevertheless provides the scientific basis essential to prevent the convention from becoming a space “where everyone looks after their own interests”, as Manon Albagnac described it. Against this tense backdrop, Juliane Wiesenhüter, advisor to the German focal point and negotiator for the Western group, warned: “Don’t be frustrated if we take small steps. As long as we are in dialogue, we are talking, and that is important.”

A risk of fragmented discourse as the number of forums increases

Another risk stems from the gradual expansion of the issues covered by the Convention. It now addresses sandstorms, migration, gender, pastoralism, indigenous peoples and local communities. The establishment of new working groups or thematic caucuses creates a risk that the voices of civil society may become fragmented. “The value and strength of the CSO message lies in the fact that a diverse range of people from completely different cultures, languages and geographical contexts come together to say one and the same thing with a strong and powerful voice,” Philippine Dutailly pointed out.

But the difficulties must not overshadow the successes. As the speakers pointed out, it is thanks to the work of civil society that the convention has incorporated land rights into its agenda. The progress made by agroecology in the texts – with more than a dozen references in COP decisions secured in partnership with pioneering countries such as Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Tanzania, which have adopted national strategies – is also the result of its work, based on dialogue. “We are not coming to this COP with a confrontational mindset. We are here to co-create solutions with decision-makers,” summarised Manon Albangnac.

A strategic position to be prepared in advance of the discussions

How could civil society exert greater influence? Firstly, by seeking accreditation with the UNCCD. “If you are not accredited, you are not at the negotiating table,” Ellen Otaru Okedion pointed out. In the speakers’ view, organisations would also be well advised to carefully consider their strategic positioning within the COP itself, choosing where to intervene based on the messages they wish to convey and their target audiences. This requires a great deal of preparatory work. “Decisions are prepared long before they reach the negotiating room,” Juliane Wiesenhüter pointed out. Working with national focal points, producing publications and contributing to the scientific debate appear to be crucial.

For the negotiator, as for Wangu Mwangi of Ambition Loop in Kenya, this also involves creating synergies between conventions. “We need to link agendas and seek to make progress together on shared issues,” insisted Wangu Mwangi, who is both a farmer and a COP participant. The issue of agriculture also came up again in the debate. Paradoxically, the sector has taken time to find its place within a convention that is, after all, centred on land and soil. Today, farmers’ and pastoralists’ organisations are under-represented among accredited CSOs. For Manon Albagnac, “we will need to mobilise them further” and find common ground that can help to further mobilise politicians and decision-makers.

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Within the French Development Agency (AFD), combating drought has long been a strategic priority. This is reflected in the commitment to developing “diversified agriculture, healthy soils capable of storing water, investment in storage infrastructure, more water-efficient farming practices, and the reuse of wastewater”, explained Sandra Rulière, deputy head of the institution’s agriculture, rural development and biodiversity division, on 26 March during the round table organised at the Désertif’actions summit in Djerba. All of this is being implemented through the allocation of between €600 million and €1 billion per year to support agroecological transitions — in the plural, she insists, “because the agroecological transition must be pragmatic and tailored to the context”.

Aujourd’hui, l’AFD estime que deux tiers des financements formels de l’agriculture viennent des institutions financières, des banques publiques agricoles. En Afrique, les fonds publics fournissent même près de 80 % des ressources pour la résilience. Mais cela ne suffit pas : il faudrait l’appui du secteur privé car beaucoup d’agriculteurs et d’éleveurs déclarent ne pas accéder au crédit. Mais les investisseurs privés ne veulent pas prendre le risque de financer l’agriculture ou l’économie africaine. Ce qui a de lourdes conséquences : « Aujourd’hui, si les pays africains veulent aller sur les marchés financiers, ils paient plus cher que d’autres pays. », a rappelé Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, chef de la division Climat et Croissance verte à la Banque africaine de développement (BAD). Pour le responsable, au-delà de la disponibilité des fonds, il ne faut pas mettre de côté la difficulté du fléchage : « dans la plupart des mécanismes développés ces dernières années, les acteurs de terrain n’accèdent pas directement aux ressources financières ». Les budgets vont aux gouvernements, qui sont censés les redistribuer à l’échelle locale, or « c’est là où ça bloque », selon l’expert.

Open up direct funding opportunities for those working on the ground

To overcome this challenge, the AfDB has in recent years sought to open up direct financing channels for actors on the ground — NGOs, local communities and municipalities — outside the traditional state-led system. In Benin, a $1 million project, channelled directly through local organisations, has thus funded 15 investments across nine municipalities. The bank is also developing large-scale regional programmes — the Drought Resilient Programme for the Horn of Africa, now in its fourth phase since 2012, and the PIDACC in West Africa, co-financed by the Green Climate Fund. For its part, AFD has notably initiated support for public agricultural banks — Crédit Agricole du Maroc, LBA in Senegal, FIRA in Mexico, and a livestock bank in Uzbekistan — in financing farmers through subsidised credit lines. The aim is to offer “subsidised, lower interest rates tailored to producers”, explained Sandra Rullière. In return, the banks commit to financing agroecological practices — and AFD supports them with technical assistance and innovative tools to ensure these are implemented on the ground without increasing the cost of credit. Between 2008 and 2022, over €900 million was committed to 50 financial institutions, which in turn financed thousands of farmers. “We have an extremely powerful lever,” she concluded.

But this approach cannot work without appropriate public policies. “Inconsistent policies mean inconsistent investment,” the official warned. Yet one such inconsistency lies in the lack of action by governments in the face of droughts. Despite its status as “the most costly and deadly climate crisis”, this phenomenon “has still not become a national development priority”, lamented Al-Hamndou Dorsouma. Yet multilateral banks respond to the priorities of governments. “If governments make it a priority, I see no reason why we wouldn’t provide funding.” At the Convention’s Global Mechanism, Habiba Khiari, for her part, laments the difficulty governments face in developing well-structured drought response plans. “We have noticed that countries have not properly planned these strategies or their targets. There is duplication, and funding is fragmented across several sectors and frameworks—climate, humanitarian aid and development.” This results in a lack of clarity for donors and funding bodies.

Strengthening the capacity of national and local stakeholders

Announced at COP16, the Global Partnership for Drought Resilience aims to address these bottlenecks. The initiative includes a preparedness fund to develop integrated drought-investment plans; a project development facility, backed by a multi-partner fund and a dedicated private-sector instrument (the Drought Resilience Investment Facility); and a knowledge bank to pool solutions. According to Habiba Khiari, the secretariat should be operational before the end of the year. In her view, it is essential to strengthen the capacities of national and local stakeholders to enable them to better meet the requirements of funders. Until this is done, “the pace of resource mobilisation will be slow and will take a long time”. And for Sandra Rullière, it is also essential to work collectively, particularly at the local level, on funding priorities – an aspect she believes is often overlooked. “Natural resource management involves different uses, with needs that can be conflicting and contradictory,” she emphasises. Deciding to allocate a piece of land, a pond or a forest to a particular use at a particular time “requires facilitating dialogue”. Yet local facilitators capable of mediating these trade-offs are rare, and their training is absent from the curriculum.

What could COP 17, due to take place next August in Mongolia, change? According to Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, the conference must adopt a protocol on drought – something African countries have long called for but which remained out of reach in Riyadh. “Africa has fought hard for this protocol. ” For him, the key lies in governments prioritising drought and in reforms that enable them to make use of what already exists: sovereign financing, green bonds, insurance mechanisms. “Increasing governments’ capacity to absorb these measures: that is, for me, the most important thing, and it lies far more with the governments than with the COP.” Sandra Rullière, for her part, raises the issue of rewarding environmental performance. Fair trade, responsible corporate procurement, public equalisation mechanisms… The tools exist to some extent, but remain insufficient. One thing is certain, according to Habiba Khiari: “We cannot afford the luxury of each working on our own on these issues. The urgency has been highlighted.”

The article Funding the fight against drought: an unsolvable equation without fundamental changes appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Globally, 11% of rain-fed cropland and 14% of pastureland have been affected by droughts over the past 40 years. These figures, taken from the latest FAO report, were presented by Nora Berrahmouni, deputy director of the organisation’s Land and Water Department, at the 6th edition of Désertif’actions, taking place in Djerba from 25 to 28 March. “If we are in a scenario where global warming reaches +4°C, we will see seven times more drought,” warned the specialist during a round-table discussion on the global impact of droughts and their consideration in policy-making.

The consequences of these extreme weather events are manifold and affect everything from food supplies for people and animals to economic activity and ecosystem diversity. “When livestock are decimated because there is no more water, herders are of course affected, but so are those who consume their products, such as milk,” pointed out Harouna Abarchi, president of the Nigerien association A2N (Global Alliance for the IYRP). “The environment is also altered because animals carry seeds in their faeces, which helps diversify the local flora, and during times of drought, this disappears.” Dorothy Amwata, a Kenyan academic, for her part, highlighted the vulnerability of women and people with disabilities, who are even less equipped than others to cope.

Knowing how to adapt species

Yet solutions do exist. This is what Sahbi Mahjoub, founder of Sadira, a company specialising in arboriculture, explained. “We have 700 hectares of fruit trees spread from north to south across Tunisia, and with climate change, the increasing frequency of droughts and floods, we’ve had to completely reinvent ourselves.” This reinvention involves adapting the species. The expert is therefore promoting the cultivation of tomatoes irrigated with osmosis water in the Gabès region. “One hectare can provide a very good living for around ten families,” he emphasised. One of his next challenges is to develop the cultivation of raspberries and blueberries using new varieties. Their cold requirements are very low, and they could be irrigated with desalinated water.

Whilst the entrepreneur believes that one solution to drought lies in settling communities through economic activities that provide a livelihood, Harouna Abarchi, whose country relies heavily on livestock farming, advocates for mobility. “Herders must be able to move from a less fertile area to a more fertile one, which allows the land to regenerate,” he emphasised. Like Sahbi Mahjoub, he believes in adapting livestock breeds. “ In a ‘very scientific’ way, herders will favour cattle breeds that perform well to facilitate transhumance,” he explained. For Dorothy Amwata, whatever these practices may be, they must absolutely be considered over the long term. In her view, “We need to move from responding to drought to preventing risks through long-term measures.”

Preventing the risk of drought rather than managing crises

This view is widely shared by Jean-Luc Chotte, a researcher at the IRD and chair of the French Scientific Committee on Desertification (CSFD). “Drought should not be seen as a crisis, but as a systemic risk,” he explained. “Its impact is linked to the vulnerability of both people and ecosystems, depending on whether or not they are prepared for this type of risk.” This “preparedness” involves building resilience – at both the population and ecosystem levels – which enables risks to be anticipated in such a way as to make systems less, or even more, vulnerable. It can only be built up over the long term.

“We have the knowledge, we have the institutional frameworks at international level, and we have the political will, but we’re not making enough progress,” lamented the expert. There are several reasons for this, including the high degree of fragmentation within these institutional frameworks, as well as the difficulty of taking action simultaneously across very different areas. Harouna Inoussa, head of the Nigerien commune of Hamdollaye, which comprises 78 villages and 40 hamlets near Niamey, thus highlights the need for land reform. “The majority of our farmers work on inherited fields, which are shared among all the descendants and are too small to allow them to earn a living.” But tackling this issue alone is not enough: we must also protect the environment through appropriate legislation, regulate the cost of inputs whilst promoting more sustainable production techniques… This requires time, expertise and funding – one of the cruxes of the problem. 

Thinking about funding from a long-term perspective

In Burkina Faso, Bernabé Traoré notes the precarious funding situation for a number of tools designed to support public policy, such as early warning systems: “Mechanisms are being put in place, but very often the systems are funded by programmes that have a fixed duration, and it is difficult to ensure their long-term sustainability.” Awatef Mabrouk, a sociologist specialising in rural development, laments certain contexts: “In Tunisia, we have centralised governance. But this is not optimised in terms of its connection with local realities.”

For Jean-Luc Chotte, one of the solutions to these difficulties is to stop treating the issue of droughts as a ‘side issue’ and instead place it ‘at the centre’. In his view, “the current political fragmentation means that no one is accountable for action or inaction on drought.” This certainly gives food for thought ahead of COP 17, which will take place next August.

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A global success for a vital cause

Who said pastoralism was a niche subject? Certainly not the 272 artists from 53 countries who responded to the call of the Désertif’actions summit. With 486 drawings received, this fourth international competition literally broke all records, proving that the resilience of territories and the mobility of herds are subjects that inspire from Iran (64 entries) to China (21), via Brazil, Indonesia and France.

The Jury in the arena: four hours of passionate debate

From left to right : Isabelle Teysseidre, Manuel Lapers, Jean-Michel Renault, Pierre Balhouet, Alain Plombat, Adeline Derkimba, Patrice Burger

On 11 December, the atmosphere was electric at the Maison des Relations Internationales in Montpellier. A jury of experts — including leading cartoonists (Jean-Michel Renault, MAN, Pierre Ballhouet), journalists and pastoralism specialists — had to make a decision.

“It’s a tremendous success in terms of participation,” said jury president J.M. Renault.

But the task was difficult. The theme — “Pastoralism, mobility at the heart of balance” — was demanding. Between biting humour, satire and social criticism, it took five rounds of judging to narrow down nearly 500 entries to a final selection of 30 exceptional drawings.

Why press cartoons?

For Patrice Burger, president of CARI and initiator of the competition, the challenge is clear: to transform complex subjects (climate, biodiversity, land) into powerful images that speak to everyone. It is a “key to communicating with the widest possible audience” and a vibrant tribute to the creativity of artists.

See you in Djerba for the final showdown

The suspense remains! While the 30 best drawings will be publicly exhibited at the Désertif’actions summit in Tunisia, the identities of the two grand prize winners will not be revealed until 27 March 2026.

The prize for the winners:

• 1st Prize: €1,500 and an invitation to Djerba for the event.
• Second Prize: €750.

One thing is certain: thanks to these artists, the cause of pastoral peoples will never again be invisible.

The 30 selected drawings

Click on the image to enlarge it

The article Pastoralism in bubbles and pencils: The huge success of the Désertif’actions 2026 competition! appeared first on Desertif'actions.

The International Desertif’actions Summit will run throughout 2025, beginning in March 2025 with the organisation of preparatory workshops (possible until 30 September). The results of these workshops will be compiled in an overall report to form the basis of the arguments to be put forward at the summit. 

Since June, a number of countries have been holding preparatory workshops to put together a joint plea from international civil society on the resilience of territories to drought.  

These workshops were organised around the 4 sub-themes of the event:  

1. Transformation of sedentary agricultural and/or livestock farming systems: How can we support farms and livestock farms in their transition towards greater resilience to drought? 

2. Support for mobile production systems (focus on pastoralism): How can we preserve and facilitate the development of systems based on mobility strategies that are relevant in the face of drought, in an increasingly constrained context? 

3. Territorial management of water resources: How can the different uses of water resources be reconciled in order to anticipate and manage competition for resources in drought situations, while limiting the risk of conflict? 

4. Territorial management: How can we facilitate the role of local authorities so that they can anticipate and sustainably manage their territory in anticipation of drought crises? 

Workshops held

9 June in Argentina, Foundation CAUCE has set up an online workshop entitled “Argentina and desertification and drought: where we are now and where we’re going”, with the aim of collectively developing proposals from civil society to strengthen the resilience of local areas in the face of the environmental degradation affecting various regions of the country.

10 June in France, le Groupe de Travail Désertification (GTD) offered a face-to-face workshop entitled “How development players can support and encourage the transition of farms towards greater resilience in the face of drought”.  The aim of this workshop was to collectively identify ways of supporting farms and livestock farms to facilitate their transition towards greater resilience in the face of drought.
Find the summary of the workshop and its report  

17 June in India, Gram Bharati Samiti(GBS) organised a hybrid face-to-face and online workshop on “Regional management of water resources” with a view to fostering a framework for reflection and consultation in order to strengthen the role of local authorities and civil society in anticipating and sustainably managing territories in the face of drought crises. A total of 85 people took part in the discussions at this workshop (73 attended in person and 12 participated online), Find Find the summary of the workshop. Report to come.

18 and 19 June in Tunisia, ACDD, WWF North Africa and IRA led a preparatory workshop on “Transforming sedentary production systems in Tunisia for greater resilience to drought and land degradation”. Find the summary of the workshop and its report. 

19 et 20 june in Burkina Faso, SPONG, APIL, CNABIO and Tree Aid have organised a workshop entitled “Promoting solutions for the resilience of territories and communities in the face of drought” in order to facilitate consultation between civil society organisations, local authorities and public and private institutions in Burkina Faso on specific issues, and to develop a collaborative advocacy campaign aimed at national and international decision-makers.
Find the summary of the workshop and its report 

25 june en ivory coast, Change Human’s Life  organised an “advocacy on territorial management in times of drought” workshop to promote agro-ecological solutions as effective responses to land degradation and desertification, crucial issues in ivory coast and in many arid regions of the world.
Find the summary of the workshop and its report.  

23 July in Cameroon, the NGO Service d’Appui aux Initiatives Locales de Développement (SAILD) organised a preparatory workshop for Désertif’actions on 23 July in Maroua. The meeting, which attracted some thirty participants, provided an opportunity to take stock of the effects of drought on production systems in Cameroon.
Find the summary of workshop and its report.  

6 August in Mali, The Women’s Network for Environmental Rights (REFEDE-Mali) organised a workshop on transforming agricultural systems, with the aim of identifying ways of supporting farms and livestock farms in their transition to greater resilience in the face of drought. The workshop brought together around fifty participants,find the summary of workshop. Report to come. 

7 August in Niamey, Niger, CNCOD and ReSaD organised a workshop on drought and land degradation in Niger. The group work highlighted initiatives, projects and programmes to address the problems of drought in Niger.
Find the summary of workshop and its report.  

19 August in the Democratic Republic of Congo, CENADEP organised a preparatory workshop on “Sustainable water management in the Congo Basin, a factor in combating drought in sub-Saharan Africa”. The aim was to contribute to the equitable and sustainable governance of the waters of the Congo Basin with a view to preventing and combating desertification.
Find the summary of workshop. Report to come

16 September in Algeria,El Argoub organised a workshop (summary of the workshop and report to follow)

16 and 17 September in Kenya, PELUM Kenya organised a workshop (summary of the workshop and minutes to follow)

17 September in Senegal, DyTAES, ENDA Pronat with the support of Tree Aid and pS-Eau  organised a workshop (summary of the workshop and minutes to follow).

25 September in Belgium, Minka International and Humundi organised a workshop (summary of the workshop and minutes to follow).

29 and 30 September in Yemen, RYCAD  organised a workshop (summary of the workshop and minutes to follow)

Upcoming workshops 

Brazil: Date to be announced

Canada : 7 October organised by Mission Inclusion  Mission Inclusion 

France : 3 October organised by the PFE PFE

France : 10 october organised by Chambre d’agriculture de l’Aude and Département de l’Aude 

France : 7 october organised by pS-Eau, Cité Unies France and Coalition Eau  

Madagascar : 15 september (to be confirmed) organised by Action sans frontière and Centre Technique Agroécologique du Sud ( CTAS) 

Nepal : Date to be announced organised byGGPF 

Peru: Date to be announced organised by AIDER 

Tanzania : in September (date to be announced) organised by Iles de Paix  

Tunisia : 6 October organised by Shanti 

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