First prize in the competition: “Barrier to Pastoralism” by Muzaffar Yulchi, Uzbekistan

First prize was awarded to the Uzbek artist Muzaffar Yulchi, whose work impressed the jury with its powerful vision and delicate brushwork. Born in 1993 in the village of Sang, in the Namangan region of Uzbekistan, Muzaffar Yulchi was trained in the visual arts from a very young age. After studying at School No. 35 and then at the Namangan Art College, he continued his studies at the Kamoliddin Behzod National Institute of Painting and Design in Tashkent, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2016.

A graphic designer, draughtsman and illustrator, his work is characterised by a clear desire to offer a different perspective on the world. His creations, often imbued with symbolism and social commentary, have already earned him international recognition: around ten of his works have won awards in competitions around the world, and he has taken part in over 70 international exhibitions dedicated to poster art and caricature.

The jury, chaired by Jean-Michel Renault, praised a work that is “both powerful and universal”, capable of accurately capturing the contemporary challenges associated with desertification and pastoral lifestyles. The award ceremony took place in the presence of the artist, who had travelled specially from Uzbekistan, as well as Patrice Burger, president of CARI, the organisation behind the summit, and Jean-Michel Renault.

Second prize: “Begs” by Darko Drljevic, Montenegro

The second prize was awarded to Darko Drljevic, an artist from Montenegro and a leading figure in international press cartooning. Born on 28 February 1962 in Kolasin, he is currently president of the Montenegrin Cartoonists’ Association. A freelance cartoonist, painter and illustrator, he has had an exceptional career, with over 280 awards to his name, 65 solo exhibitions and more than 500 participations in group exhibitions. Author of five books and editor of the satirical magazine TUS, he also founded Montenegro’s first international cartoon competition. His work, featured in numerous newspapers, magazines and television channels, reflects a constant commitment to drawing as a vehicle for universal expression.

The Désertif’actions cartoon competition once again stands out this year as a platform for socially conscious expression, blending art and advocacy. Through the diverse perspectives of artists from around the world, it highlights, with both humour and seriousness, the environmental and human challenges facing arid regions.

The success of the 2026 edition confirms the growing interest in these art forms as tools for raising awareness, capable of reaching a wide audience and sparking debate far beyond specialist circles.

The article Drawing to raise awareness: Muzaffar Yulchi wins the press cartoon competition appeared first on Desertif'actions.

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.

The article COP on Desertification: the challenges civil society must overcome to remain influential appeared first on Desertif'actions.

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.

The article Rethinking public policy to build resilience to drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to explain the importance of the role of local authorities in anticipating and managing crises related to these climatic events, and how they can be supported in this role. It should help to strengthen the arguments that can be put forward by civil society representatives at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: Burkina Faso, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France.

The article Strengthen the role of local authorities in building the resilience of territories to drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to shed light on the facilitation of pastoral mobility, which is essential for preserving and even improving resilience in arid and semi-arid areas. It should help to strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives will be able to put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: France, Guinea, Kenya.

The article No pastoralism without mobility: challenges and proposals appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for Désertif’actions participants and contributors, this note aims to explain the importance of effective collective water management in increasing the resilience of agricultural production in arid and semi-arid areas. It should help to strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives will be able to put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: France, India, Palestine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Tunisia, Yemen.

The article Working together to build water security: an imperative appeared first on Desertif'actions.

Intended for participants and contributors to Désertif’actions, this note aims to shed light on the transition to agroecology in agricultural systems. It should help strengthen the arguments that civil society representatives can put forward at COP17 of the UNCCD.

List of countries that contributed to this note through their preparatory workshops: Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, France, Mali, Niger, Palestine, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Yemen.

The article Agroecology to equip agricultural systems to cope with drought appeared first on Desertif'actions.

In preparation for this meeting, CARI is publishing three notes deciphering the negotiations of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. These notes are intended for participants in the Désertif’actions programme, and more broadly for CSOs who follow and want to influence the UNCCD.  

• The Briefing Note on the UNCCD Negotiating Process explains in detail how and by whom UNCCD decisions are adopted. The note identifies entry points to influence negotiations and provides recommendations for CSOs attending the COP. 

• The Briefing Note on Regional Groups and Coalitions of Influence complements the previous note, detailing how UNCCD negotiators are organizing themselves to have weight in the negotiations. It helps to refine the understanding of advocacy targets. 

• The Briefing Note on the consideration of droughts in the UNCCD negotiations details the Convention’s action to combat droughts and summarises the latest progress in the negotiations on this subject. 

The article Briefing notes on the negotiations of the Convention on Desertification  appeared first on Desertif'actions.

These discussions are part of the central theme of Désertif’actions 2026: how can we improve the resilience of territories — ecosystems and communities — in the face of drought? 

Through complementary approaches — regional management, pastoralism, agricultural systems and regional water management — these webinars provided an opportunity to compare analyses, promote existing solutions and identify concrete levers for action. 

The key role of local authorities in regional governance 

This webinar highlighted the central role of local authorities in anticipating and managing drought-related crises. As the authorities closest to the people and the realities on the ground, they have strong legitimacy, the capacity to act quickly and a lasting presence in the territories. 

Discussions focused on the resources mobilised by local authorities to tackle droughts, the solutions proposed by operators in the field to support them, and the levers for action and advocacy needed to strengthen their capacity to manage territories sustainably in the context of climate crises. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Pastoralism: mobility at the heart of resilience 

Focusing on pastoral systems, this webinar highlighted that pastoral mobility is a key factor in resilience to drought. Resilience here is understood as the ability of pastoral communities, their animals and ecosystems to adapt, withstand and recover from climate shocks. 

The lessons learned from national workshops held in Guinea, France and Kenya reveal shared findings: land degradation, irregular rainfall and water scarcity are weakening pastoral systems. However, pastoralism also appears to be a major lever for adaptation, contributing to ecosystem regulation, soil preservation and food security. Common advocacy messages have emerged, particularly around the recognition of pastoralism as a pillar of adaptation strategies, inclusive governance of territories and securing pastoral mobility. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Transforming agricultural systems to cope with droughts 

This webinar focused on sedentary agricultural and livestock farming systems, which are facing increasingly frequent and intense droughts. While certain practices based on agroecological principles have proven effective in strengthening the resilience of farms, their adoption remains hampered by numerous obstacles. 

The discussions provided an opportunity to analyse the impacts of droughts on agricultural systems, the potential of agroecology to improve their resilience, the solutions implemented by agricultural development actors, and the levers for action and advocacy that can be activated to support the transition and promote scaling up. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

Better water management at regional level 

This latest webinar focused on regional water resource management in the face of increasing shortages. The aim was to identify management methods that would enable crises to be anticipated, while reconciling the multiple uses of water. 

Discussions focused on the impact of droughts on water management, the benefits of a territorial approach to strengthening resilience, solutions proposed by development actors, and the levers for action and advocacy needed to support more sustainable water management practices that are adapted to climate challenges. 

For more information, click here to read the report (in French). 

To watch the webinar again, click here (in French and English)

The article Four webinars to strengthen the resilience of regions facing droughts  appeared first on Desertif'actions.