Closing the Finance Gap: Putting Civil Society and Communities at the Centre of Land Restoration at UNCCD COP17

Financing restoration means financing those who deliver it

Civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are already restoring landscapes, managing natural resources and supporting communities affected by land degradation. Yet many still struggle to access the finance needed to sustain and scale this work.

At COP17, the CS4LDN project helped shift the conversation from simply asking how much finance is available to asking who can access it, under what conditions, and whether it reaches locally led action.

This reflects a core lesson from the project: finance alone is not enough. CSOs also need stronger investment readiness, better connections to donors and governments, and financing mechanisms that recognise local governance, rights and long-term stewardship. 

From finance barriers to practical solutions

These issues came together across several COP17 engagements.

At the event, “From Commitment to Investment: Unlocking Finance for Land Degradation Neutrality,” governments, the World Bank, IGOs and civil society examined why finance often fails to reach restoration initiatives on the ground and how stronger collaboration, better project pipelines and more inclusive financing approaches can help close that gap.  

The discussion was complemented by a wider focus on the conditions that make restoration investment durable. In the IUCN–TMG dialogue on governing and financing land restoration, land tenure was used as a concrete example of the implementation challenge: where rights, mandates and coordination are weak, restoration investments are less likely to last.  

A further dimension emerged in the side event on Community Stewardship Funds, which explored how finance can better support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities whose stewardship underpins conservation, resilience and sustainable land management, but who continue to receive only a small share of climate and conservation finance.  

Together, these conversations reinforced a common point: the finance gap is also a governance and access gap. 

What needs to change after COP17

The broader takeaway from COP17 is that stronger restoration outcomes will require a more connected financing ecosystem.

For CSOs, this means continuing to strengthen business development, investment planning and the ability to engage with donors. For financing institutions, it means creating more accessible pathways for locally led organisations and recognising the importance of community governance, tenure security and long-term stewardship. For governments, it means ensuring that civil society and local actors are connected to national LDN priorities and implementation processes.

CS4LDN will continue taking this forward in 2027 through further Business Development and Investment Planning trainings, proposal development write-shops and a CSO–Donor Roundtable designed to strengthen mutual understanding, partnerships and access to finance.

COP17 reinforced a simple message: restoring land at scale requires more than financing projects. It requires investing in the people, partnerships and governance systems that make restoration possible. 

For more information, explore IUCN's work on land degradation.