Celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought — June 17, 2025

Theme: “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration”

On June 17, 2025, the global community observed the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, an initiative established by the United Nations to raise awareness about land degradation and promote sustainable land management practices.

This year’s theme — “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration” — called for united action across generations to restore degraded ecosystems and build a sustainable future. Across the world, events were held to highlight the urgent need for land conservation, ecosystem recovery, and improved resilience to droughts.

Currently, approximately 40% of the Earth's land is affected by degradation, threatening the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people. The 2025 observance emphasized the importance of adopting nature-based solutions, supporting inclusive policies, and strengthening coordination across sectors.

Special focus was placed on the active engagement of youth and women, recognizing their key roles in driving community-level restoration efforts and advocating for stronger environmental governance. Public campaigns, expert panels, and educational workshops were held to promote awareness and exchange practical strategies.

This annual celebration reinforces the global commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) and the vision of achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through collective and sustained action.

In his message for the day, Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), stressed that land restoration is not only an environmental imperative, but also an opportunity for economic and social growth. He called on governments, businesses and civil society to step up efforts to restore degraded areas, emphasizing that sustainable land management is key to food security, stability and the well-being of future generations.