Unlocking Finance for Land Degradation Neutrality
This guide explores the finance gap facing CSOs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities working on land restoration and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). Based on survey evidence from 226 organisations, it identifies key barriers to accessing funding, maps the evolving donor and financing landscape, and offers practical tools to strengthen more inclusive and effective partnerships between donors and civil society.
Drylands are highly vulnerable to land degradation and climate change. Civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities (IP&LCs) possess critical expertise to combat desertification and restore ecosystems while advancing inclusive and sustainable development, yet they face a severe and persistent finance gap. Evidence from a global survey highlights recurring obstacles: complex procedures, restrictive eligibility criteria, high co-financing requirements, language barriers, and internal capacity gaps. Indigenous Peoples and local community-led organisations face additional structural constraints, including political marginalisation and lack of formal recognition. Closing this gap is essential for achieving the objectives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and advancing Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). This guide provides practical insights for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and donors on unlocking finance for Land Degradation Neutrality.
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