From April 14 to 16, 2026, an International Expert Roundtable titled “Russia – Central Asia: Dialogue on Land Degradation in the Context of Climate Change” was held in Moscow at the UN Information Centre. The event was organized by the Nature and People Foundation, the Interregional Group (IRG) “Central Asia – Russia” of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, with grant support from the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. Representatives of Central Asian countries, Russia, and several other states, as well as international organizations, academia, профильные ministries, NGOs, and the private sector took part in the discussions.
The main objective of the roundtable was to develop a consolidated regional position on land degradation, desertification, and drought to be presented at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP17), as well as to define practical steps for updating and implementing the IRG roadmap. Participants agreed to prepare a joint statement reflecting coordinated approaches in key priority areas, including sustainable pasture management, drought mitigation measures, achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), and strengthening scientific and technical support.
A separate proposal was to organize a dedicated IRG side event at COP17, where participants plan to present the accumulated experience of interregional cooperation and showcase the work of joint research centers and laboratories focused on monitoring and preventing land degradation. The need to update the IRG roadmap was also emphasized, including a review of expert groups to improve efficiency and focus on the most relevant areas. Priority topics include developing unified land quality assessment approaches, advancing remote monitoring technologies, aligning national action programs with sectoral strategies, and enhancing the legal framework for land governance.
Key areas for further work also include sand and dust storms, land risk insurance mechanisms, the application of artificial intelligence, and the systematization and scaling of best practices for achieving LDN. Significant attention was given to education and scientific cooperation, with proposals to establish a network of specialized educational centers and introduce dedicated academic programs and e-learning courses across universities in the region.
On the institutional side, participants highlighted the importance of expanding the IRG expert community, including greater engagement of the private sector, as well as developing specialized media resources and introducing voluntary certification mechanisms for sustainable land management. In the context of international cooperation, the flagship pasture initiative of Mongolia was endorsed, and participants agreed to develop a coordinated approach to contributing to the new UNCCD strategy and improving national reporting mechanisms.
The main outcome of the roundtable will be a joint statement of participating countries for COP17, outlining concrete proposals on achieving LDN, strengthening monitoring systems, advancing science and education, and enhancing regional and international cooperation, including coordination among the three Rio Conventions. The decisions will be further refined and formalized in the final protocol of the meeting.
Source: The UNCCD Interregional Group "Central Asia - Russia"
