The Conference of the Parties,
Recalling decision 23/COP.11 and decision 19/COP.12,
Also recalling decision 18/COP.13, decision 3/COP.13 and decision 21/COP.13, Further recalling the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 2018– 2030 Strategic Framework, its vision for a future that minimizes and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels, and strives to achieve a land degradation neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, within the scope of the Convention and in particular strategic objective 1 to improve the condition of affected ecosystems, combat desertification/land degradation, promote sustainable land management and contribute to land degradation neutrality,
Acknowledging the work conducted by the Science-Policy Interface in implementing its work programme for the biennium 2018–2019,
Recognizing the strong linkages between land use and drought and that the management of both land and drought is fundamentally connected through water use,
Having considered document ICCD/COP(14)/CST/3 and the conclusions and recommendations contained therein,
Guidance to support the adoption and implementation of land-based interventions for drought management and mitigation
1. Invites Parties to consider (a) strengthening the interlinkages between national land and drought policies including, inter alia, as appropriate, action programmes to combat desertification and land degradation, drought management programmes and national climate policies; (b) reviewing and promoting the adoption of such policies to fully reflect the influence of land use and management and land degradation on water availability and water scarcity; and (c) the positive role drought-smart land management practices, ecosystem-based adaptation and restoration measures, and drought recovery activities could have in building the resilience of communities and ecosystems to drought, when pursued in the context of land degradation neutrality;
2. Also invites Parties to take measures to ensure, as appropriate, that their institutions dedicated to drought management integrate land use, land-use change and land degradation as factors in drought and drought risk management practices and policies, while also ensuring that their land and water use institutions integrate drought-smart land management practices, climate variability and climate change impacts into their relevant policies and initiatives;
3. Further invites Parties and international organizations and cooperating partners to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination in their policies and programmes to promote the interventions necessary for optimized adoption, implementation and scaling-up of drought-smart land management to landscape level, focusing on, as appropriate, a set of five enablers, including:
(a) Implementing integrated land-use planning and landscape management;
(b) Strengthening national and local capacity on the multiple benefits of droughtsmart land management across sectors, communities of practice and disciplines, taking into consideration persons with disabilities and gender-responsive actions to promote women, youth and girls;
(c) Ensuring the effective engagement of local institutions in combination with place-based policies and legal security on land tenure and water rights to ensure the inclusive design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of land-based interventions to mitigate the effects of drought;
(d) Developing user-friendly tools which improve the access of policymakers, planners and practitioners at all levels to geospatial analysis that integrates Earth observations, including satellite and national in-situ data on land, water and meteorology, through the use of geographic information systems, which would allow for the integrated monitoring and mapping of land cover, including water bodies, land degradation and drought risk;
(e) Mobilizing as appropriate, inter alia, both conventional and innovative finance, including from public and private investors, such as ecosystem service payments, carbon emission offsetting, insurance coverage and responsible investment in inclusive, droughtresilient and sustainable value chains and food systems to support and promote drought-smart land management, ideally concurrent with local and national programming;
4. Requests the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification secretariat and the Science-Policy Interface and invites, as appropriate, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization and other relevant land, water, meteorological and disaster management organizations, in the context of the Integrated Drought Management Programme, to facilitate coordination and interaction between land degradation neutrality and drought risk management communities, notably by creating a common understanding of definitions and the cross-sectoral nature of drought risk management and land management;
5. Also requests the Secretariat to invite CGIAR and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and its Agricultural Stress Index System and other related agencies to share information on plant varieties and animal breeds that are tolerant to drought.
