With 2024 set to be the hottest year on record, desertification, drought, and land degradation threaten 40% of the world’s land, putting at risk food security, water supplies, and millions of lives. 

These and many more urgent topics are being addressed at the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), held from December 2–13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The international conference is marking the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. 

Land degradation in coal-fired power station ©ewg3D from Getty Images 

Why desertification matters for cities

Desertification occurs when once fertile land gradually turns into a desert. The phenomenon is driven by deforestation, drought, and poor land practices and negatively impacts more than 500 million people globally, including urban dwellers. 

Although desertification may seem like a rural challenge, cities are directly suffering from it. 

Globally, rising temperatures and shrinking ecosystems amplify water scarcity, with desertification further degrading land and reducing vegetation cover, compounding challenges for water security. The lack of greenery and the widespread use of heat-absorbing materials like asphalt and concrete further amplify temperature extremes in urban areas, placing added pressure on infrastructure and public health systems. This amplifies the impact of urban heat islands which arises because cities absorb and retain more heat than rural areas, and as a result city temperatures are substantially higher than their rural counterparts.

Rapid urban growth also often leads to the conversion of natural landscapes into built environments, a process known as soil sealing. This transformation reduces the land's natural ability to absorb water, increases surface runoff, and diminishes groundwater recharge, thereby exacerbating land degradation and desertification. A study focusing on Mediterranean cities like Barcelona and Rome found that urban expansion into peri-urban areas heightened sensitivity to desertification, particularly in ecologically fragile zones. 

Cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are particularly vulnerable to desertification. For example, urban areas bordering the Sahara, like Niamey in Niger and Timbuktu in Mali, experience encroaching desert sands and heightened heat. These changes disrupt water supplies, damage infrastructure, and intensify heat-related public health issues. But while cities are highly vulnerable to desertification, they are also key drivers of its growing severity.

How cities contribute to desertification

Aerial view of the city of Dakar, Senegal © miroslav_1 from Getty Images

Rapid urbanization often encroaches on fragile ecosystems, depleting vegetation that is crucial for preventing soil erosion and maintaining healthy water cycles. 

Practices such as unplanned land clearing, deforestation, and over-extraction of natural resources for urban development disrupt these vital ecosystems.

Additionally, urban water demands often lead to the over-exploitation of aquifers, intensifying water scarcity and further drying out surrounding ecosystems. 

The unchecked expansion of urban areas also leads to excessive agriculture on city peripheries and overgrazing, which degrades land and accelerates desertification.

As the global population increasingly migrates to urban areas, with 70% of the population projected to live in cities by 2050, the need for sustainable urban planning has never been more urgent. Reducing the impact of urban expansion on the environment is essential to mitigating desertification.

How cities can help combat desertification

The theme of UNCCD COP16, “Our Land. Our Future”, underscores the pivotal role cities can play in combating desertification. 

Urban areas are not only hubs of innovation and economic growth, but also key actors in restoring ecosystems, improving air and water quality, and building resilience to climate change. This message was echoed just a month earlier at the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities, which took place on the sidelines of Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia.

Local governments and urban actors have the unique opportunity to transform degraded spaces into thriving green ecosystems. “Cities are hubs of innovation and solutions, they are drivers of change, they are where implementation happens at ground level,” said Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI.

Nature-based solutions (NbS)—like greenbelts, tree planting, and the restoration of native vegetation—help to reduce pollution, improve biodiversity, and make cities healthier, more liveable, and more resilient against the changing climate.

Creating a climate-resilient urban environment is key to creating buffers against desertification. Cities have the capacity to greatly increase the integration of vegetation within buildings and concrete-heavy areas, which not only will lead to having cleaner air but will also contribute to carbon sequestration and cooling urban areas.

Tree-planting activities in Dakar © UNEP 

Supported by UNEP’s “Generation Restoration” project, launched in 2023, 24 cities across the globe are already leading this transformation with on-the-ground projects designed to restore ecosystems and protect communities.

In Dakar, Senegal, a city increasingly affected by the encroaching Sahara Desert, local communities are working alongside international experts including UNEP, to facilitate the development of a network of blue-green infrastructures and a multifunctional green belt. This effort aims to control urban sprawl, support the connectivity of ecosystems, and strengthen the collaboration of local stakeholders for the protection of biodiversity in the Dakar metropolitan area. 

Baobab forest, Dakar, Senegal © HomoCosmicos from Getty Images 

"Desertification is not a distant threat, it is a pressing reality for Dakar, formerly Cape Verde. By restoring our urban ecosystem, we strive to reimagine our city and set an example for those on the front lines of climate change. Now is the time to act." declared Colonel Major Babacar Dione, Director of Water and Forests, Wildlife and Soil Conservation, Ministry of the Environment of Senegal.

Dakar is also engaged in landscaping public spaces and transplanting iconic trees such as Baobabs and Palms from major construction sites. Initiatives like the SenOxy Citizen Initiative have also established “school fruit parks” to engage students in reforestation efforts and promote environmental stewardship.

On the other side of the globe, the city of Mendoza, Argentina, faced with rising temperatures and shrinking ecosystems, has embraced bold strategies to restore its natural landscapes and build a sustainable future. 

Through collaboration with UNEP, the city of Mendoza is leading transformative projects, including restoring degraded urban ecosystems and designing biological corridors that seamlessly connect natural and urban areas. These efforts are creating cooler, greener spaces while enhancing biodiversity and urban resilience.

Mendoza City © diegograndi from Getty Images

"Cities are at the frontline of the climate crisis”, shared Mr. Ulpiano Suárez, the Mayor of Mendoza. “Local governments must redouble efforts and understand that sustainability is no longer optional. It’s essential. The work with international organizations is necessary and Mendoza is ready to collaborate and work together”.

A holistic vision for the future

Projects in Dakar and Mendoza are powerful reminders that cities are both frontline witnesses to climate change and hubs for solutions. 

UNEP and other organizations emphasize that a holistic approach is essential: addressing desertification cannot be separated from broader climate and biodiversity goals and strategies.

Initiatives like Generation Restoration and the Trees in Dry Cities Coalition, led by UNECE, demonstrate how cities, through integrated strategies, can tackle the root causes of desertification, while protecting ecosystems, adapting to climate change, and enhancing urban resilience.

As global leaders gather in Riyadh for UNCCD COP16, cities around the world are being called upon to embrace this vision, transform degraded spaces, and build a healthier, more resilient future for all. 

About Generation Restoration (2023-2025) 

The UNEP Generation Restoration project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), focuses on scaling up urban ecosystem restoration. Running from 2023 to 2025, UNEP, in collaboration with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and ICLEI’s Global Biodiversity Centre, is working with 23 cities to address key political, technical, and financial challenges. The project has two key components: advocating for public and private investment in ecosystem restoration and job creation through nature-based solutions and Empowering city stakeholders globally to replicate and scale restoration initiatives.  

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration     
The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 
The UNCCD was established in 1994 to protect and restore our land and ensure a safer, just, and more sustainable future. The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought, and the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties. COP16 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2-13 December 2024 under the theme Our Land. Our Future.