Desertif’action as a Platform to Amplify Civil Society Voices in the Fight Against Drought, Desertification, and Land Degradation

Last week marked Désertif’actions 2026, the sixth summit of its kind. The event, taking place in Djerba, Tunisia, convened stakeholders across sectors, bringing together researchers, scientists, NGOs, representatives of civil society, private and public institutions, local authorities, Indigenous Peoples, and community organisations. Over the course of 3 days, participants took part in plenary sessions, thematic workshops, and group dialogues— on topics ranging from the transformation of sedentary farming to the support of pastoralism to the management of water resources— to better understand and work towards solutions in the face of drought, desertification and land degradation.  

Desertif’actions also served as a crucial space to connect field experience with global policy and funding ahead of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will take place this August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The summit brought together donors, policy makers, and on-the-ground voices, strengthening partnerships and relationships imperative for effective solutions. Participant discussions made it clear that the international community is not lacking solutions, but rather the means to bring them to the people who need them most. 

Desertif’actions highlights civil society  

Désertif’actions has notably become one of the most important global gatherings for civil society working on land degradation, creating a platform where local actors—from farmers to community organisations—can influence international processes under the UNCCD. As outlined in the IUCN 2026-2029 Programme, IUCN is committed to a “whole-of-society approach to addressing the planetary crisis.” Thus, Desertif’actions served as a key location to create opportunities for civil society leaders to exchange ideas and contribute towards solutions.  

In line with these goals, the IUCN Forest and Grasslands Team and Drynet co-led the side event “Capacities for Impact: Strengthening Meaningful Civil Society Participation in LDN Processes.” This event amplified the work the Strengthening Civil Society Role in Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (CS4LDN) initiative. In collaboration with the GEF, this project is designed to strengthen the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in delivering Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by helping them navigate funding systems, build technical capacity, and connect their work on the ground to global policy frameworks.  

At the side event, mentees of CS4LDN had the opportunity to speak about their learning journey in the project, contributing to knowledge exchange regarding civil societies combatting land degradation. Similarly, IUCN and Drynet announced the creation of a new report on finance for LDN, geared towards scaling up resources to mobilise funds and convene fund raising meetings with donors and private investors.  

Even beyond CS4LDN, the human dimension of land degradation remained central throughout the event, reflecting a growing recognition that restoration is not only a technical challenge, but a social one—rooted in inclusion, equity and ownership. Across discussions, the idea remained clear: solutions must be built with communities, not just for them, drawing on their knowledge, their realities, and their leadership.  

The future of desertification

 As the world prepares for UNCCD COP17, Désertif’actions 2026 created a vital space where community realities, scientific knowledge and policy ambition could meet and search for ways to restore degraded land and build resilience.  The path forward is clear but demanding. Scaling restoration will require stronger partnerships, more accessible financing, and sustained investment in people. From innovative finance to agroecology, from rangeland resilience to One Health approaches, IUCN is working to integrate local action, knowledge and policy influence into a coherent response. Désertif’actions showed that when these pieces come together and we continue to invest in the communities as the heart of solutions, transformation is possible.