Three priorities for COP17 land degradation talks

The 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification convened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Monday and runs through to Aug. 28 under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” The conference is being hosted by a nation in which about 77 percent of land is degraded. The event brings together representatives of the COP’s 197 members, alongside scientists, civil society, indigenous peoples and private sector actors. COP17 confronts the interconnected crises of desertification, land degradation and drought.