Land demand is rising fast. Traditional uses like agriculture and urban development now compete with growing needs for conservation and land-based climate solutions aimed at preventing planetary tipping points. For example, by 2060, national climate pledges are projected to rely on 1 billion hectares of land—twice the size of the European Union—for carbon dioxide removal through methods such as afforestation, reforestation, and ecosystem restoration.

These goals highlight the urgent need for integrated land management and resource planning. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) remains the only legally binding international agreement linking environmental sustainability with development through sustainable land management.

A key part of this is the UNCCD’s Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) framework, which helps countries set national targets to balance land use by preventing degradation, restoring damaged areas, and ensuring no net loss of productive land.

Secure land tenure is widely recognized as a critical factor for achieving LDN targets. In recognition of this, the UNCCD has adopted three key land tenure decisions—26/COP.14, 27/COP.15, and 28/COP.16—that integrate tenure considerations into national LDN planning. However, integrating tenure systematically still faces significant challenges, including policy gaps, weak enforcement, and limited avenues for addressing disputes. These barriers slow progress on inclusive and equitable land restoration.

At COP16 in Riyadh, countries were urged to integrate land tenure into national plans and prioritize data collection on legitimate tenure rights. The Africa Group played a leading role in proposing a National Focal Point for Land Tenure within the UNCCD framework—a step aimed at improving national coordination, boosting accountability, and ensuring land tenure receives consistent attention in LDN strategies.

This webinar will highlight key findings and present actionable policy recommendations to help governments and stakeholders better integrate land tenure into LDN frameworks. It will also reflect on missed opportunities for collaboration at COP16 and explore how to strengthen joint advocacy ahead of COP17. The discussion draws on diverse experiences and serves as a springboard for future engagement—including the Global Land Forum, the UNCCD’s CRIC, and the High-Level Political Forum.

Panelists:

• Kerstin Henke, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (Opening remarks)

• Dr. Lucy Nganga, prior Kenyan National Focal Point for UNCCD and CBD

• Malih J.N. Ole Kaunga, IMPACT Kenya

• Laura Rahmeier, Robert Bosch Stiftung

• Washe Kazungu, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability

• Frederike Klümper, TMG Think Tank for Sustainability

• Beth Roberts, Stand4Her Land, Landesa