Türkiye is showcasing its policies and practices to combat desertification and drought at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Held from Aug. 17-28 under the theme “Restoring land, reviving hope,” the conference brings together government representatives from 197 countries, as well as scientists, nongovernmental organizations, young people, local communities and other stakeholders.
Fatma Varank, deputy minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, is representing Türkiye at the conference, where land restoration, drought resilience, rangeland management, water resource protection and sustainable land use are among the key issues on the agenda.
Türkiye is presenting its work at a dedicated pavilion, highlighting policies and practices developed to address desertification and drought.
Panels and events at the pavilion focus on preventing land degradation, sustainable land management, drought resilience, education, monitoring and evaluation systems, and ecosystem protection. Türkiye is also sharing its experience and expertise with other countries while examining international practices and potential solutions.
The pavilion is also hosting bilateral meetings with representatives of countries and international organizations to discuss potential cooperation and joint projects in areas including combating desertification and drought and protecting land and water resources.
Türkiye aims to use these engagements to strengthen international cooperation and carry the dialogue developed at COP17 into the COP31 process.
COP17 is also serving as a platform for Türkiye’s climate diplomacy ahead of COP31, which is scheduled to take place in Antalya from Nov. 9-20 in cooperation with Australia.
Türkiye is seeking to establish new areas of cooperation, increase the exchange of experience and develop joint initiatives that can continue through COP31.
The country also aims to build a bridge between the COP17 agenda on desertification, drought and land degradation and the COP31 process, which focuses on combating climate change.
Meanwhile, work on the “Rio Synergy” initiative, one of the priority areas of Türkiye’s COP31 Action Agenda, is continuing during COP17.
The initiative is based on the principle that climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification are interconnected global challenges. It aims to strengthen coordination among international efforts in these areas and align them around common goals.
The launch of the Rio Synergy Working Group is planned during COP17. The group seeks to improve coordination among efforts on climate change, biodiversity and desertification and turn existing international commitments into joint action.
