Desertification

UN Meeting Highlights Rangeland Management Ahead of Mongolia’s COP17 ULAANBAATAR — December 10, 2025 A high-level meeting on the sustainable management of rangelands, which cover nearly half of the Earth’s land area, was held on December 9 during the 7th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). According to Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the meeting aimed to shape international strategies and policies that will be endorsed at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), scheduled for August 17–28, 2026 in Ulaanbaatar. The gathering brought together representatives from Mongolia, Kenya, Germany, as well as officials from the Rio Conventions and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), who shared perspectives on advancing sustainable rangeland management. Mongolia’s Environment Minister Batbaatar Bat stressed the importance of rangelands, noting: “About 70 percent of Mongolia’s territory consists of vast steppe and grasslands. These ecosystems absorb carbon, regulate water systems, support biodiversity, and sustain traditional livestock herding.” He outlined how Mongolia’s initiatives align with proposals to be advanced at COP17. Delegates welcomed Mongolia’s upcoming role as host of COP17 and praised the country’s leadership in promoting global cooperation on rangeland sustainability.

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Desertification is the process by which vegetation in drylands i.e. arid and semi-arid lands, such as grasslands or shrublands, decreases and eventually disappears.