Source: https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/press-releases/unccd-and-saudi-arabi…
UNCCD News
High-level meeting in Bonn highlights land degradation and drought as rising drivers of instability and security risks

Bonn, 26 January 2026 — The secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the Presidency of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP), underscored the importance of addressing the land–drought–water–security nexus as a strategic priority for food security, resilience and stability.

During a high-level meeting in Bonn, Adel Al Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted the link between land degradation and security. Yasmine Fouad, UNCCD Executive Secretary, highlighted that healthy land is foundational to food security, livelihoods and prosperity, with direct implications for stability as communities face rising vulnerability and increasing resource stress.

“Drought is a global issue with a direct impact on people and livelihoods. There is an urgent need to elevate this discourse and bring greater attention to the links between drought and national security,” said Minister Al Jubeir.

“At UNCCD, we are deeply committed to the principle that the health of the land is critical to ensuring peace and stability. Desertification, land degradation and drought drive food prices and exacerbate conflict and insecurity as people struggle to survive amid shrinking resources. These are fundamental development and security challenges and must be prioritized as such,” said Executive Secretary Fouad.

Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressed the importance of sustaining political momentum from COP16 to COP17:

“Land sits at the heart of multiple global challenges — from food and water security to climate resilience and sustainable growth,” Dr. Faqeeha said. “Building on the outcome and historical success of COP16, we need to maintain the international momentum in COP17.”

By 2050, the world will need to produce 50 per cent more food to feed a growing global population, even as up to 40 per cent of land is already degraded. Restoring 150 million hectares of degraded land could improve food security for 200 million people, by increasing yields, strengthening resilience and reducing pressure to expand agricultural frontiers.

At UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024, countries committed to accelerating efforts to sustainably manage and restore land as a driver of economic growth, prosperity and well-being. Through initiatives such as Great Green Wall and the Peace Forest Initiative, UNCCD is advancing land restoration to address the environmental, economic and social impacts of land degradation, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

For more information, please contact: press@unccd.int

Source: https://www.adpc.net/ver25/adpc-news.asp?q=2152
Stakeholders Consultation Workshop in Nepal

26-27 November 2025, Kathmandu, Nepal
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation (MoEWRI), convened a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop to accelerate the integration of climate-responsive actions across the water, energy, irrigation, hydrology, and meteorology sectors in Nepal.

The workshop brought together key partners to align sectoral priorities with national plans, policies, regulations, and budgeting processes, while advancing the development of climate-smart guidelines and knowledge products. It further strengthened coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms essential for achieving Nepal's climate commitments. The workshop was organized under the NDC IMPACT project, funded by the NDC Partnership Action Fund (PAF).

The main objectives of the Stakeholders Consultation Workshop were to present the scope of project outputs, activities, and the overall implementation plan, as well as to gather stakeholders' feedback and expectations.

Mr. Shishir Koirala, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation (MoEWRI), highlighted that “This workshop is an important step in the project to support Nepal's climate resilience, including expanding renewable energy, strengthening hydropower resilience, promoting climate-smart irrigation, and improving meteorology and other sectors."

Ms. Amita Thapa Magar, In-Country Facilitator for Nepal at NDC Partnership, shared that stakeholders' feedback will guide coherence, adaptability, and priority alignment for the project implementation.

The consultation workshop featured a comprehensive program comprising a technical session, a thematic presentation, and a group discussion followed by participant presentations. The sessions also helped to outline the scope and approach for creating the Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) for the water, energy, irrigation, hydrology, and metrology sectors. This involved reviewing the current GEDSI landscape, identifying gaps, and developing targeted actions and policy interventions to promote gender-responsive and inclusive practices.

In total, 39 representatives from various government departments and ministries in Nepal took part in the event, alongside participants from academia, international organizations, and development partners. The diverse participation ensured a rich exchange of perspectives, strengthening the workshop's overall impact and relevance.

Dr. Santosh Kaini, Deputy Director General of the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation, emphasized that “Policy and guiding documents are vital but must be complemented with field assessments and stakeholder input to address gaps effectively."

Mr. Naresh Sharma, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, delivered the keynote presentation, noting that this project would develop solutions that strengthen adaptive capacity, especially for vulnerable communities affected by climate change.

The NDC IMPACT project is leading efforts to embed climate resilience and low-carbon strategies into Nepal's national plans, policies, regulations, and budgets across water, energy, irrigation, hydrology, and meteorology sectors. ADPC is working closely with MoEWRI to build institutional capacity and promote climate-resilient development.

For more information, please contact: adpc_social@adpc.net

International Climate Protection Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)

Applications are open for the International Climate Protection Fellowship, a fully funded program for professionals and researchers working on climate change, sustainability, water, energy, and environmental protection.

The fellowship supports research stays in Germany in cooperation with a host institution, with a strong focus on practical impact and climate-related solutions.

Who can apply

Early-career and experienced professionals

Researchers working on climate-related topics

Applicants from developing and emerging countries

Application deadline: 10 February

More details and application link:
https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/inte…

Journal call for paper:
Journal title: Sustainability
Special issue title: Impacts of Climate Change and Extreme Events on Global Food Security
Link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/J7UL5R10O7
Special Issue Information:
Dear Colleagues,

Against the background of intensifying global climate change, global food security is facing increasingly severe systemic risks. Major factors are profoundly impacting all stages of food production, distribution, consumption, and allocation through multiple pathways. These include rising global temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, growing frequency and intensity of extreme events, and the looming threat of climate tipping points. These changes directly endanger the four core dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization, and stability. This situation not only poses unprecedented challenges to regional and national food security governance systems but also imposes significant constraints on global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) centered on “Zero Hunger”. Food security lies at the heart of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 2 explicitly calls for "ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture," underscoring its foundational role in the global sustainable development framework. Addressing climate shocks and tipping point risks has thus become an urgent task for safeguarding food security, driving agricultural system transformation, and realizing a sustainable future.

We are pleased to open up submissions to this Special Issue of Sustainability, titled “Impacts of Climate Change and Extreme Events on Global Food Security”. This Special Issue aims to delve into the complex interactions and feedback mechanisms between climate change, extreme weather and climate events, and global food security, with a particular focus on their multi-scale impacts and response pathways within the context of sustainable development. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives covering all relevant themes and encourage interdisciplinary, multi-methodological academic contributions. The scope of this Special Issue is broad and incorporates interdisciplinary perspectives including, but not limited to, atmospheric sciences, meteorology, climatology, geography, economics, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, and global development. We encourage studies that utilize novel theoretical frameworks and quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as well as case studies conducted across diverse geographic regions.

We welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following:

Attribution and impacts of extreme climate events and climate change;
Climate tipping points and cascading risks to food systems;
Compound extreme events and their impacts on agriculture and food security;
Construction of food security evaluation indicator systems at different scales (global, regional, and national) under climate change, and multi-dimensional spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of food security;
Impacts of climate change-driven food market fluctuations on socioeconomic vulnerability;
Applications of big data and artificial intelligence in monitoring, assessing, and early warning of food security risks under climate change;
Vulnerabilities in trade and supply chains for global food security;
Comparative case studies on food security responses to climate change and extreme events.
We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and conceptual frameworks that contribute to this pressing field of study.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Prof. Dr. Jieming Chou
Dr. Yuan Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

The co-editor of this special issue, Dr. Yuan Xu, is an expert who has involved in UNCCD work for a long period. He is also a member of this Community of Learning and Practice.

Soft skill development for community leadership in participatory groundwater management

International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Centre for microFinance (CmF); People's Education and Development Organization (PEDO); Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN). 2025. Soft skill development for community leadership in participatory groundwater management. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Policy Innovations Program. 40p.

https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178155

Abstract/Description
The Soft Skill Training Module for Community Leadership in Participatory Groundwater Management (PGWM) was developed to complement the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a key policy of the Government of India that designates communities as resource managers for the common-pool resource of groundwater. This module was developed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in partnership with Centre for Microfinance (CmF) and Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN).

The aim is to create a complementary approach by identifying and training key village community members to foster strong local leadership and motivate mobilisation efforts at the community level. This leadership development is pivotal for ensuring the long-term sustainability and an exit strategy for the scheme.

The training module employs an experiential learning approach, utilising games and interactive activities to simulate real-world scenarios. This methodology is grounded in Kolb's Learning Cycle to cultivate crucial leadership competencies, including communication, empathy, decision-making, problem-solving, and self-awareness. It also adapts the COM-B Model (Capability, Opportunities, and Motivation) to drive targeted behavioural change within the community.

Hello everyone, I am Satyender Yadav, a recent M.Tech graduate in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering. I joined this community after completing the UNCCD course on Drought Risk and Impact Assessment.
My research focuses on quantifying climate-induced hazards across diverse landscapes: from mapping drought susceptibility in the arid regions of Rajasthan to assessing multi-hazard risks (Landslides & Floods) in the Himalayan region. Leveraging Google Earth Engine and Machine Learning, I aim to develop robust geospatial models for disaster resilience.
I am actively looking for PhD opportunities in Europe and look forward to discussing drought strategies with this network.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyenderyadav17/