Land

EMG members in response to the calls by Governments for a coherent UN system-wide response to the land challenges (see extract from GEO4), established in September 2009, the Issue Management Group on land for a period of two years.

The IMG should propose options for a coherent United Nations system wide contribution to land challenges, including the implementation of the 10 year strategic plan of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa.

The IMG is also tasked to prepare a United Nations system wide rapid response report on drylands highlighting the importance of drylands to key emerging issues on the global agenda, including climate change, food security and human settlements together with options for follow-up action in the UN system.

The report is not intended to be prescriptive, but would be built on the existing knowledge, science and experience of the member agencies (including actions already being taken), focused on the positive aspects (economic, social, institutional and environmental) of drylands.

The report highlights the importance of global drylands to key emerging issues on the global agenda, including climate change, food security and human settlements together with options for follow-up action. The premise of this report is that in modern times, dry-lands in poor countries have tended to be de facto ‘investment deserts’, that is, the environmental challenges (aridity, variability) had their socio-economic counterparts in chronic under-investment.

A draft report provisionally titled Global Drylands: A UN response is under final review. The IMG will develop follow up recommendations for a joint agenda for action on drylands and possibly land in general, by building on the findings of the report.

A progress report on the work of the IMG will be provided to the 16th Senior Officials meeting of the EMG in September 2010. The IMG will conclude its work and submit its final outcome to the 17th senior officials in 2011.

Report of the first meeting of the Issue Management Group on land (24-25 November 2009-Bonn-Germany)