South Africa Pushes for Binding Drought Protocol and Boosted Restoration Funding at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Bernice Swarts will head South Africa’s delegation to the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), scheduled for 17‑28 August 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The gathering, themed “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope”, offers a rare platform for African nations to shape global policy on desertification, land degradation and drought.

Why the COP matters for South Africa

South Africa arrives at the summit armed with more than a decade of hands‑on experience in reversing land loss. In 2018 the country pledged to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) on roughly 17 million hectares. By the end of 2025, about 2.9 million hectares had been restored, conserved or placed under sustainable management – a modest but tangible step forward.

Recognising the original target was overly ambitious, the government recently recalibrated its LDN ambition during the second phase of the UNCCD Target‑Setting Programme. The new commitment focuses on eight million hectares and is framed around concrete, time‑bound, gender‑responsive and spatially explicit actions. While the revised goal is more realistic, it also underscores a pressing need for additional financial and technical resources.

From pledges to binding law

At the heart of South Africa’s agenda is a push for a legally binding drought protocol under the UNCCD. The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, during its 20th ordinary session, named South Africa the continent’s “drought champion” for COP17, a role that comes with the responsibility of rallying other African states around a common legal instrument.

Deputy Minister Swarts explained, “Drought is not an abstract environmental issue for us; it directly threatens water security, food production and rural livelihoods. A binding protocol would shift the focus from reactive emergency measures to proactive risk management, giving vulnerable communities a chance to prepare before disaster strikes.”

Financing the fight

South Africa will also press for a dramatic scaling‑up of climate‑related finance for developing nations. Despite the clear links between desertification, climate resilience and the Sustainable Development Goals, funding for these challenges remains among the lowest of the three Rio Conventions. The delegation will call for contributions from the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, multilateral development banks and private‑sector partners, while reaffirming the responsibility of wealthy nations to deliver predictable, adequate support.

Shaping the post‑2030 framework

The conference will debate a new strategic framework for the UNCCD beyond 2030. South Africa’s position advocates for an inclusive, science‑based roadmap that respects the differing capacities of Parties while insisting on measurable outcomes. “Restoring land is ultimately about restoring opportunity and hope,” Swarts said. “The decisions taken in Ulaanbaatar must enable countries to protect livelihoods, strengthen resilience and deliver visible improvements in the lives of people who depend most directly on healthy land.”

Contextual milestones

COP17 is the first joint session of the three Rio Conventions in 2026 and coincides with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Mongolia, the host, will showcase three flagship initiatives under its Steppe Action Agenda: a Rangeland flagship promoting sustainable grazing, nature‑based solutions for green infrastructure, and a Water‑Land Nexus project addressing the tight coupling of water and soil in drylands.

High‑level events such as the Riyadh‑Ulaanbaatar Action Agenda and a dedicated Finance Day on 24 August will aim to mobilise political will and investment. South Africa hopes to leverage these platforms to secure the resources needed to meet its revised eight‑million‑hectare LDN target and to set a precedent for a binding drought response framework that other nations can emulate.