The UNCCD conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, highlighted the urgent need to address land degradation, which affects 18.9% of the world’s land, up from 14.7% in 2015. The analysis showed that countries like Mexico, India, and many in Africa have seen significant increases in degraded land. However, there are signs of hope, as some countries like Ecuador, Botswana, and Burkina Faso have made progress in restoring degraded land. The successes were mainly due to tree restoration and soil fertility improvements. Despite the grim outlook, the conference emphasized the need for more data and international funding to address land degradation, which currently receives less funding than climate change and biodiversity initiatives.

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