IUCN commemorates 2026 Desertification and Drought Day by reflecting on the value of rangelands and pastoralists
Gland, Switzerland, 17 June 2026 (IUCN) – As the world celebrates the 2026 Desertification and Drought Day under the theme “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.” and alongside Kenya as host country, IUCN commemorates this important event by reflecting on the importance of rangelands for people, biodiversity, and climate.
Every year, the world marks Desertification and Drought Day on June 17, calling on decisionmakers, stakeholders, and other actors to recognise the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD). These phenomena are bringing about profound impacts on people and nature, affecting livelihoods, biodiversity outcomes, and climate change trends. A variety of ecosystems and geographies are experiencing these threats, but for this 2026 Desertification and Drought Day, there is particular emphasis on how desertification and drought are impacting rangelands.
This year’s theme coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and ties in closely into the aims of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which will be hosted by Mongolia later this year. As such, today marks an opportunity to remind the world of the value of rangelands—and of the opportunities which exist to catalyse action towards combatting desertification and drought in rangelands.
Globally, IUCN is advancing action for rangelands, from the grasslands of South America to the drylands and savannahs of Africa and beyond. This week, in particular, IUCN is hosting a pre-COP17 event in Quito, Ecuador, focused on deepening understanding of the fundamental ecosystem services provided by grasslands. IUCN also recently began a new GEF-funded project, alongside the Government of Mongolia and UNCCD, to support delivery of UNCCD COP17 and a variety of follow-up actions which will aid pastoralist communities around the world. This complements other IUCN-led work supporting communities to address desertification, land degradation, and drought, including the Austrian Development Agency-funded project “Accelerating Action for Resilience and Innovation in Drought Risk Management” and the GEF-funded project “Strengthening Civil Society Role in Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality,” among many others.
“On this 2026 Desertification and Drought Day, we are reminded not only of the challenges facing our lands, but of the extraordinary opportunity before us to recognise, respect, and restore the world’s rangelands,” said Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN. “The road from here leads to UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, where the global community has a powerful opportunity to place rangelands and the people who steward them at the heart of sustainable development. IUCN will be there with our partners and communities from around the world, united by a shared belief that restoring land is about far more than repairing ecosystems. It is about restoring hope, resilience, and opportunity for people and nature alike.”
View the video below for the full statement from IUCN’s Director General.
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