The focus of Desertification and Drought Day 2025, marked annually on June 17, is an ambitious global push to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land and stimulate a thriving land restoration economy valued in the trillions.
This year’s theme, “Restore the Land, Unlock the Opportunities,” highlights the vast potential that land restoration holds for economies, ecosystems and communities worldwide.
Executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Ibrahim Thiaw emphasised the devastating impacts of land degradation and drought, which continue to threaten economies, food security, water resources and overall quality of life. These challenges intensify climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, displacement and conflicts over land and water. However, Thiaw stressed that land restoration presents a powerful solution, offering a path to resilience and prosperity. “Restored land is a land of endless opportunities. It’s time to unlock them now,” he declared.
Currently, over half of the global GDP relies on nature and healthy land. Alarmingly, around 1 million square kilometres – an area the size of Egypt – are degraded each year. As the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) reaches its midpoint, the urgency to reverse these damaging trends is greater than ever. If present patterns continue, restoring 1.5 billion hectares by 2030 will be essential to achieving global land degradation neutrality.
Encouragingly, voluntary initiatives such as the G20 Global Land Restoration Initiative, hosted by the UNCCD, have already secured commitments to restore one billion hectares. Beyond ecological benefits, land restoration offers significant economic advantages. For every dollar invested, returns of between US$7 and US$30 are generated, yet progress remains far too slow to meet the escalating need.
The UNCCD’s latest financial assessment reveals that an investment of US$1 billion per day is required globally from 2025 to 2030 to combat desertification effectively. At present, annual investments total around US$66 billion, with private sector contributions at a modest six per cent.
Thiaw called for urgent action, urging both governments and businesses to scale up their commitments. “We must unlock new sources of finance, create sustainable, land-based jobs, accelerate innovation and harness traditional knowledge,” he advised. Without a significant boost in ambition and resources, the vision of a restored and prosperous planet risks remaining out of reach.
As the world observes Desertification and Drought Day 2025, the message is clear: land restoration is not just an environmental necessity – it is a global opportunity waiting to be realised.
