ICLEI at UNCCD COP17

The case for local and regional governments at UNCCD COP17

• Land degradation, drought and desertification put growing pressure on cities and regions, through water insecurity, food systems, and displacement.
• Local and regional governments already manage climate, biodiversity and land issues as one interconnected reality, not as separate agendas.
• Despite this frontline role, local and regional governments remain largely outside the formal governance structures of the UNCCD.
• Fragmented national and global systems make it harder for local governments to access direct financing for land restoration and drought resilience.
• Land degradation still receives less political attention than climate or biodiversity, despite underpinning both.

WATER DAY IN FOCUS

Local action across the COP17 agenda

Across the two weeks of COP17, ICLEI is co-organizing and actively participating in several events, bringing local and regional government perspectives into discussions on implementation, governance, finance and integrated action.

ICLEI’s engagement connects with COP17’s four thematic days: Finance, Water, Land and People, and Food Systems and Soil Health.

A particular focus will be Water Day on 25 August, highlighting the critical connections between water security, drought resilience, land restoration and sustainable urban development. As part of the day, ICLEI and the Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) will convene the session “Preventing Water Bankruptcy: Cities, Utilities and Catchments on the Frontline of Drought Resilience.”

14:00–15:30 | Blue Zone | Room 23

The session will bring together practitioners to explore how cities, utilities and catchment authorities can move beyond fragmented mandates and build resilient, equitable urban water systems. The discussion will highlight Water Operators’ Partnerships, peer learning, nature-based and catchment-scale solutions, non-revenue water reduction, investment readiness and institutional reform.