Protecting Our ‘Most Vital Infrastructure’: Pushing Back on Desertification

JOHOR, 18 AUGUST 2026 —

Protecting Malaysia’s ‘Most Infrastructure’: Global Push Against Desertification Gains Urgency

“Land is our most infrastructure — underpinning food security, water, livelihoods and stability,” warned UN Executive Yasmine Fouad ahead of COP17, the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which opened in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, on Monday. The two-week conference brings together governments, scientists, and business leaders to address land degradation and drought resilience.

Desertification is not confined to arid regions. Nearly 40% of the world’s land is currently degraded, affecting 3.2 billion people globally. In Mongolia, where vast stretches of the Gobi Desert and semi-arid grasslands dominate the landscape, the crisis is particularly acute. Around 77% of the country’s land is degraded, and one-third of its 3.4 million people depend on pastoralism for their livelihoods.

In 2023 and 2024, Mongolian farmers lost more than seven million livestock due to severe summer droughts followed by extreme winter dzud conditions, which killed weakened animals en masse.

“For Mongolia, land is inseparable from our people, our livelihoods and our future,” said Mongolia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Battsetseg Batmunkh, in remarks at the conference’s opening. “We know that the health of our land has direct consequences for people’s lives.”

The problem extends far beyond Mongolia’s borders. Rangelands — vast natural areas unsuitable for crop farming but critical for livestock grazing — provide food for nearly 70% of the world’s livestock and support two billion people. These lands are among the hardest hit by desertification and drought, threatening global food systems. “These issues are no longer distant environmental concerns,” Fouad emphasized.

“They are already affecting the food we produce, the water we depend on, the resilience of our economies and the ability of communities to build secure futures.”

The economic toll of land degradation and drought is staggering. According to UN data, these environmental changes cost the global economy nearly $900 billion annually, with droughts alone accounting for $300 billion in losses each year. Since 2000, the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased by nearly one-third, exacerbating food insecurity and displacement.

COP17, which runs through August 29, aims to build on commitments made at COP16 in Riyadh, where nations agreed to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. Key priorities for this year’s conference include strengthening drought resilience, promoting sustainable agriculture, and protecting soil health. Discussions will focus on early warning systems, vulnerability assessments, and international cooperation to scale up restoration efforts.

“The greatest change we want to see from COP17 is a shift from talk to action, from targets to implementation, and from commitments to measurable results,” said Mongolia’s Prime Minister, Nyam-Osoryn Uchral. One of the conference’s central challenges is mobilizing private sector investment in land restoration and drought resilience. Currently, there is an estimated annual finance gap of $278 billion.

While $355 billion is needed each year to restore land and build resilience, current global investment stands at only $77 billion — with the private sector contributing just 6% of that total.

To bridge this gap, organizers are promoting initiatives like the Business4Land Forum, which seeks to foster collaboration between governments, development banks, businesses, and investors. “I am confident that COP17 will mark an important step towards stronger international cooperation and accelerated global action,” said Mongolia’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and COP17 Chair, Sandag-Ochir Tsend.

While the conference’s primary focus is on global solutions, the implications for Malaysia and Southeast Asia are significant. The region, home to diverse ecosystems including tropical rainforests, peatlands, and agricultural plains, is increasingly vulnerable to land degradation and drought. Malaysia, for instance, has seen rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns affecting palm oil and rubber plantations, key pillars of its economy.

In 2023, the country experienced one of its driest periods in decades, leading to water rationing in several states and reduced agricultural output.

Experts warn that without proactive measures, Southeast Asia could face more frequent crop failures, biodiversity loss, and economic disruptions. “Land degradation doesn’t respect borders,” said a senior Malaysian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What happens in Mongolia or the Sahel affects global food prices and supply chains — and Malaysia, as a major agricultural exporter, is not immune.”

The Malaysian government has taken steps to address land degradation through reforestation programs and sustainable land-use policies, but challenges remain. Peatland fires, often exacerbated by drought, continue to pose health and environmental risks, particularly in states like Sarawak and Johor. In 2023, haze from land and forest fires disrupted air quality across the region, affecting millions and drawing international criticism.

At COP17, delegates are expected to highlight the need for integrated land management strategies that balance economic development with environmental sustainability. “We cannot afford to treat land as an infinite resource,” said Fouad. “Restoration must be at the heart of climate action.”

As the conference progresses, all eyes will be on whether nations can move beyond pledges and deliver tangible funding and policies to reverse land degradation. With the private sector’s role under scrutiny, pressure is mounting on corporations — especially those in agribusiness and extractive industries — to adopt sustainable practices and invest in restoration.

For Malaysia, the stakes are clear: protecting its land is not just an environmental imperative, but an economic one. As global temperatures rise and droughts intensify, the country’s ability to sustain its agricultural sector and food security will depend on how effectively it can adapt and restore degraded landscapes.

The outcome of COP17 may well determine whether the world can turn the tide on desertification — or face a future where fertile land becomes a scarce and precious resource.

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