Excellency Zhang Jun, Secretary General of Boao Forum for Asia,

Excellency Tsend Sandag-Ochir, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia,

Leaders of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,

Distinguished Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme in China, it is my great honour to join you here this afternoon in the beautiful city of Yinchuan.

Let me begin by congratulating Secretary General Zhang Jun, Boao Forum for Asia and all the participating partners for their vision and commitment in organising this important Symposium.

Today, desertification stands as one of the defining global challenges of our time, exacerbated by climate change, biodiversity losses, water scarcity, and unsustainable land use.

Around the world, it poses a serious threat to ecosystems, food security, livelihoods, and long-term economic resilience - threatening the achievement of at least 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals, humanity’s blueprint to protect people and planet by 2030.

Desertification carries a staggering global economic cost. Some analysts have estimated that it reduces almost USD 800 from the world economy when we take the full extent of its impact - lost agricultural productivity, carbon storage capacity, and ecosystem services.

The UNCCD Global Mechanism estimates that USD 1 billion per day is needed from 2025 to 2030 to combat desertification and meet land restoration targets.

As such, it is critical to urgently accelerate efforts to address this challenge and to share best practices and technical insights.

At UNDP, we have focused on addressing desertification through nature-based solutions and sustainable land management.  

We support countries in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality in line with the UNCCD, while helping to create opportunities for alternative livelihoods and reducing poverty in drylands and mitigate the impact of drought.

Our focus has also included promoting regenerative agriculture, restoring degraded rangelands, expanding water harvesting and irrigation, reforming land policies, and mobilizing environmental finance for vulnerable communities.

Drawing on global lessons, I would like to share four interconnected pathways for your kind consideration.

First, we need stronger regional cooperation and experience sharing to co-create localized desertification control solutions.

Leveraging global expertise in land restoration, regional knowledge-sharing platforms connecting countries is essential.

By strengthening regional exchange platforms and technical cooperation, we can adapt successful practices to local contexts and accelerate innovation in land restoration and sustainable land management.

Second, we must unlock innovative and inclusive financing mechanisms.

Restoring degraded land requires long-term investment at scale. This is the game-changer.

To bridge the financing gap, it’s critical to adopt a diversified financing model that unlocks public, private and social capital.

It is also critical that we reimagine the modalities of partnerships with international financial institutions and the private sector to design and scale up green bonds, climate funds, and blended finance mechanisms that can support the most vulnerable regions and marginalized communities.

Third, we need integrated management solutions to break institutional silos.

Nature does not recognize administrative and geological boundaries.

Desertification affects biodiversity, livestock productivity, agriculture, food production, water systems, and livelihoods simultaneously.

Effective responses require holistic approaches that connect environmental protection with social and economic development.  

And lastly, we must ensure that ecological protection also creates development opportunities and high-quality economic growth.

The green transition succeeds when local communities benefit directly.

Sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, eco-tourism, and other green industries can help transform ecological assets into sustainable livelihoods.

By supporting locally adapted green development pathways, we can promote both environmental protection and high-quality economic growth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The good news is that we already have the knowledge, practical tools, and established global frameworks that can help reverse land degradation and restore ecosystems. 

As we look ahead to UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia this August - let’s turn shared ambition into practical action – supporting solutions that restore land, protecting ecosystems, and creating sustainable opportunities for local communities.

Together we can build an inclusive and sustainable future for both people and planet, leaving no one behind.

Thank you!