EVENTS
IPSI at UNCCD COP17
2026.07.21
The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026, under the theme Restoring Land. Restoring Hope. The conference brings together governments, business and civil society, as well as scientists, youth, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and smallholder farmers to advance action on land degradation, drought resilience and ecosystem restoration.
IPSI will be present at COP17 through side events and sessions in the Green Zone, showcasing how landscape approaches can contribute to the conference’s goals of reversing land degradation and building resilience for communities most affected by desertification and drought.
Side Events
Side events are open to conference participants. Below is a list of side events organized by IPSI members.
Event information will be updated as more details become available.
The Imperative to Finance Landscape and Territorial Scale Governance to Achieve Multiple Policy-Action Goals
Time: 17 August 2026, 18:00–19:30
Location: MET-01
Landscape, territorial and bioregional approaches advance socio-ecological resilience by considering the conservation and restoration of nature alongside issues of equity, inclusivity and people’s wellbeing. Sustaining these approaches requires coordinated action and alignment of values, purposes and visions among different actors and institutions. The effectiveness of landscape governance depends on institutions’ ability to deliver on multidimensional goals over the long term, which in turn depends on the level of accessible investment across the landscape decision-making cycle. Drawing on empirical evidence from landscape actors across different regions, this side event will demonstrate the challenges posed by inadequate investment in landscape governance.
Organizers: UNU-IAS; IPSI Secretariat; EcoAgriculture Partners; the 1000 Landscapes for a Billion People Initiative; CGIAR; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Yolda Initiative; and Ambition Loop.
More details will be available soon on the UNU-IAS website.
Financing Climate-Smart Agriculture for Land Restoration: Linking Sustainable Land Management with Carbon Markets
Time: 18 August 2026, 10:30–12:00
Location: MET-01
The side event will explore how climate-smart and sustainable agricultural land-management practices can be linked with carbon markets and results-based finance to support land restoration, soil health, water security and resilient farmer livelihoods. The discussion will cover interventions such as Alternate Wetting and Drying in rice cultivation, soil organic carbon enhancement, regenerative agriculture, improved nutrient and residue management, agroforestry, farmer aggregation and equitable benefit sharing. It will bring together representatives from government, international organizations, technical institutions, farmer organizations, carbon-market entities and development partners. EVENT PROGRAMME
Scaling Rangeland Restoration Through Sustainable Pastoralism
Time: 20 August 2026, 10:30–12:00
Location: MET-06
Organizers: Yolda Initiative, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists, UNDP, World Bank, UNU-IAS, IPSI Secretariat, Green Gold Mongolian Rangeland Research Center, Agricultural Research Council of South Africa.
Protected and Conserved Areas, Pastoralists’ Rights and Territories of Life: Towards Inclusive Conservation and Resilient Rangelands
Time: 28 August 2026, 15:00–16:30
Location: MET-04
Organizers: Yolda Initiative, Cenesta, Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists (GA4RP), ICCA Consortium, International Land Coalition (ILC), Shan Shui Conservation Center, JASIL/ICCA Mongolia Working Group, UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme, UNU-IAS, and the IPSI Secretariat.
Green Zone
The Green Zone is the lively public space where you can join side events, explore exhibitions and take part in interactive activities. It will feature thematic days events where you can explore topics of interest and connect with participants from around the world.
Events’ details will be available soon.