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As UNCCD COP17 Opens, The Nature Conservancy Calls for Action on Land Restoration and Drought Resilience

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia | August 17, 2026

A woman carries buckets as she walks away from her herd of cows standing in a grassland in Mongolia.
Dairy cow herding in Mongolia In support of traditional ecosystem management practices, TNC Mongolia has worked with nomadic grazing/ herder community groups since 2008 on rangeland management strategies. © Nick Hall

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As governments gather in Mongolia for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD-COP17), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is calling for urgent acceleration of efforts to restore degraded land, strengthen drought resilience and mobilize investment in proven solutions.

“Healthy lands are the foundation for thriving communities and economies,” said Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “As countries come together at COP17, we have an opportunity to scale the solutions that we know work and ensure they deliver benefits for both people and nature around the world.”

Key issues expected to shape negotiations in Ulaanbaatar include bolstering drought resilience in the face of a fast-changing climate, supporting healthy rangelands, advancing regenerative agriculture and soil health, expanding nature-based solutions and increasing financing for land restoration and sustainable development.

“The challenge is not a lack of solutions,” Morris said. “Around the world, communities are already demonstrating how healthier landscapes can improve water security, support livelihoods and build resilience. Our focus now must be on scaling those solutions we already know to work through stronger collaboration, practical policies and sustained investment.”

Landscape view of a wide, flat grassland under a blue sky.
Mongolia grasslands: the world's largest intact temperate grassland. © Bret Rosson/The Nature Conservancy
A woman with a baby on her back stands next to a large herd of goats in a grassland.
Mongolia Herder looks after her goats © TNC (Edward Game)

Financing will be a central priority at COP17. To advance effective investment in restoration and resilience, TNC partnered with the UNCCD Secretariat and others to develop the Innovative Financing for Land Restoration and Drought Resilience Implementation Playbook, which highlights successful financing approaches already being used around the world.

Mongolia is a fitting host for this global dialogue. Home to vast grassland ecosystems and Indigenous herding communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy rangelands, the country reflects both the challenges and opportunities facing dryland landscapes worldwide. Its experience highlights the importance of investing in local stewardship and long-term resilience in the face of increasing climate pressures. A prime example of this is the pioneering Eternal Mongolia initiative to secure long-term finance for landscape-scale conservation.

“As governments gather in Mongolia, we must recognize that healthy lands are fundamental to a sustainable and prosperous future, now more than ever,” Morris said. “The decisions made at CCD-COP17 can help strengthen food and water security, support livelihoods and build resilience for generations to come. These opportunities to turn proven solutions into meaningful, high-level action don’t come along every day—negotiators must seize the moment.”

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.