Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) plays a crucial role in mitigating biodiversity loss and addressing the impacts of climate change. By maintaining or improving the quality and productivity of land, LDN helps preserve ecosystems and enhance their ability to support biodiversity and sequester carbon. By incorporating LDN into sustainable development agendas, countries can effectively address multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) simultaneously, reinforcing the interconnectedness of environmental conservation, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development.

This side event, co-organized by FAO and WOCAT, will provide an opportunity to exchange challenges and lessons learnt from GEF and other partner-funded projects building on LDN as a framework to contribute to national commitments. Decision makers from Bhutan, Uruguay and Nicaragua will present lessons learnt and main challenges for evidence-based decision-making. In particular, experiences on effective knowledge management and intersectoral collaboration to strengthen LDN target setting processes, its integration into Integrated Land Use Planning and monitoring will be presented. Panelists will share their experiences on creating synergies and links between LDN targets and other commitments, including the newly agreed Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Speakers

• Maria Helen Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO 
• Louise Baker, Managing Director of Global Mechanism of the UNCCD
• Ulrich Apel, Senior Environmental Specialist, GEF
• Diana Laguna, Vice Minister of Environment, Panama
• Gerardo Evia, National Director for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, UNCCD and CBD Focal Point, Uruguay
• Hernan Gonzalez, GEF Technical Officer, FAO
• Michael Doane, Global Managing Director, Food & Freshwater Systems, The Nature Conservancy