12 November 2015: The 3rd edition of ‘Land and Water Days,’ which took place in Rome, Italy, from 10-12 November 2015, highlighted challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the need for integrated responses in terms of soil and water management practices. The event was co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), with contributions from the Global Mechanism (GM) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and other stakeholders.

Sven Walter, Coordinator of the GM’s Liaison Office in Rome, highlighted UNCCD initiatives for the next biennium, including the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund, support to the Great Green Wall through the inclusion of actions to create alternatives to migration and to create green jobs, and voluntary country target setting to make the LDN concept a reality. The Global Mechanism and FAO’s Decent Rural Employment Team also convened a side event to discuss land and water actions required to reduce environmental migration and to promote job creation.

Among outcomes of the two-day event was an agreement to strengthen collaboration related to land and water among Rome-based agencies on such areas as information exchange, joint work in common areas identified on a yearly basis and streamlining tools for more effective collaboration. [Global Mechanism News Release] [Land and Water Days 2015 Webpage]