17 September 2013: The Rio Conventions Pavilion convened for Indigenous and Local Community Sustainable Land Managers Day, hosted by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Equator Initiative, on 17 September 2013.

The Rio Conventions Pavilion is meeting in conjunction with the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), taking place from 16-27 September 2013, in Windhoek, Namibia. Indigenous and Local Community Sustainable Land Managers Day included sessions on: reviving drylands – sustainable use of water in Sub-Saharan Africa; beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – combating desertification, climate change and biodiversity loss post-2015; engaging with extractive industries – can it work; overcoming the challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought – best practices for sustainable land management (SLM) and the strengthening of alternative livelihoods; and knowledge exchange for capacity building – networks and learning platforms.

In the evening, a reception was hosted by the World Indigenous Network (WIN), during which the Equator Initiative launched a book titled ‘Community-Based Sustainable Land Management: Best Practices in Drylands from the Equator Initiative.’ [IISD RS Coverage] [Rio Conventions Pavilion Website]