Mongolia Hosts Global Push to Restore Degraded Lands at COP17

COP17 in Ulaanbaatar gathers 179 UNCCD signatories and hundreds of organizations to tackle desertification and land degradation that affect about 3.5 billion people, driving poverty and migration. Mongolia outlines national efforts like the Billion Trees initiative and climate legislation, while the conference emphasizes public‑private funding to translate plans into investable projects—backed by figures suggesting returns of $7–$30 for every $1 invested in soil restoration and a target of mobilizing billions for reforestation, sustainable agriculture and drought resilience to reach 1 billion hectares by 2030.