Land degradation, desertification, and water scarcity are among the most pressing challenges facing global food systems today. As climate change and unsustainable land use accelerate soil loss and ecosystem decline, restoring and managing land sustainably is essential for food security, livelihoods, and environmental resilience.
At the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties (COP17) and in conjunction with the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), CGIAR will highlight how science and partnerships contribute to sustainable land management and landscape restoration. Our research portfolio advances solutions that improve soil health, strengthen dryland farming systems, and support communities managing fragile ecosystems.
Through our events and engagements, discover how CGIAR collaborates with governments, research partners, and local communities to translate research into practical solutions that restore degraded land, safeguard biodiversity, and strengthen resilient food, land, and water systems.
Flagship innovations for resilient landscapes: restoring land, managing drought and transforming food systems (Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, IWMI, ILRI, CGIAR)
Speaker:
- Lulseged Tamene Desta - Director of Multifunctional Landscapes CGIAR Science Program, CGIAR
- Mohsin Hafeez - Strategic Program Director - Water, Food and Ecosystems, IWMI
- Henri Rueff - Director, Climate Action and Principal Scientist, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
- Fiona Flintan - Senior Scientist, ILRI
- Anuja Malhotra - ATREE
- Wagaki Wischnewski - UNCCD
- Hillary Rotich - Justdiggit
- Lukwesa Burak - BBC News
Scaling Landscape Restoration Innovation Bundles: From Evidence to Investable Action (ILRI, ICARDA, CGIAR)
Speakers:
- Lulseged Tamene Desta - Director of Multifunctional Landscapes CGIAR Science Program, CGIAR
- Victoria Gutierrez - Head of Global Policy, Commonland
- Cargele Masso - Principal Scientist, ILRI
- Birgit Habermann - Scientist, ILRI
- Bhushan Sethi - Member of the Steering Committee, 1000 Landscapes for One Billion People
- Chris Dickinson - Senior Environment Specialist, Asian Development Bank
- Wagaki Wischnewski - UNCCD
- Boubaker Dhehibi - ICARDA
- Nadia Khammari - OSS
- Ichiro Hama - UNU-IAS
- Zine Labedine Ksiksi - ME, Tunisia
Restore Land, Restore Hope: Bridging the Science–Policy–Finance Gap for Rio Nexus Action (ILRI, ICRISAT)
Speakers:
- Nicholas Taylor - GGGI (moderator)
- Jason Lee - GGGI
- Mandukhai Tsogtbal - Voice of the desert
- Lulseged Tamene Desta - Director of Multifunctional Landscapes CGIAR Science Program, CGIAR
- Stanford Blade - Deputy Director General, ICRISAT
- Narangaravuu Altangerel - MECC
- Robert Berlin - GCF
- Au Shion Yee - ADB
Enabling fair and effective carbon solutions for restoring rangelands (Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, ILRI, Landscape Alliance)
