China's experience demonstrates that land restoration can progress alongside economic development, highlighting a viable pathway for global efforts to combat desertification, land degradation and drought, said a senior United Nations official.

Yasmine Fouad, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, told China Daily that, despite this promising example, a persistent financing gap remains one of the biggest obstacles to fighting desertification, land degradation and drought worldwide.

She said that addressing these issues requires about $355 billion annually, but the current investment falls significantly short, leaving many proven solutions underfunded despite their strong economic, social and environmental returns.

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Fouad emphasized that China's progress is significant because it integrates restoration into a broader strategy for rural development, poverty alleviation, ecological protection and long-term resilience, rather than treating it as a stand-alone environmental objective.

China's experience offers important lessons, because it demonstrates that ecological restoration and economic development can reinforce each other when restoration is integrated into long-term national development strategies, she said.

In 2021, China declared "complete victory" in its fight against absolute poverty. Fouad said that the nation is still making progress in land restoration.

China's land restoration efforts demonstrate that combating desertification is fundamentally a developmental challenge, not just an environmental one.

Figures from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration show that China treated about 10.13 million hectares of desertified land and about 1.95 million hectares of rocky desertification during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. The country also aims to treat about 6.7 million hectares of desertified land by 2030.

Fouad noted that China's experience shows what can be achieved when restoration is pursued at scale and integrated into national development planning.

"The good news is that we know what works. Countries have already identified practical solutions — from restoring degraded land and improving soil health, to strengthening drought preparedness and investing in resilient landscapes. The challenge now is mobilizing the financing needed to implement these solutions at scale," she said.

Closing the financing gap will require stronger public investment, greater engagement from development banks and a much larger role for the private sector, Fouad said, adding that land restoration should be seen as an investment in long-term resilience, rather than a cost.

The senior UN official's remarks come as land degradation and drought are drawing growing international attention. Earlier this year, the Group of Seven countries formally recognized desertification, land degradation and drought as systemic global risks and threat multipliers affecting food security, economic stability and resilience.

"Healthy land underpins food production, water security, livelihoods and economic development," Fouad said. "Every meal begins with healthy land. When land degrades, food becomes more expensive, water becomes scarcer and communities become more vulnerable."

Huge challenge

The scale of the challenge is already huge, she said, pointing out that up to 40 percent of the world's land is degraded, while droughts have increased by nearly one third since 2000. Over the past three decades, 75 percent of the world's land has become permanently drier, and drought is projected to affect three in four people by 2050, she added.

Against this backdrop, the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD, or COP17, which will be held in Mongolia in August, will need to focus on implementation, financing, scientific cooperation, drought preparedness and the use of technology and innovation, Fouad said.

Countries have already made commitments, adopted targets and developed plans, she said, emphasizing that the priority now is to turn them into action by mobilizing investment and helping communities better prepare for drought, land degradation and growing water stress.

Fouad said that other countries could draw several lessons from China's approach, including the value of long-term commitment, sustained investment, consistent policy support and the integration of science, innovation and local action.

Satellite monitoring, artificial intelligence and data analytics can help countries assess risks and target investment more effectively, she said, adding that China's capacity in digital innovation and Earth observation technologies could help improve drought early-warning systems, land monitoring and evidence-based decision-making in other countries.

More than 130 countries have set voluntary land restoration targets under the UNCCD, and more than 70 have developed national drought plans, Fouad said. Restoring land and preparing for drought are essential investments in food security, economic development and long-term stability, she reiterated.

COP17 will coincide with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Fouad noted that rangelands support around 2 billion people worldwide, yet up to half are degraded or at risk.

South-South cooperation

China, with its experience in land restoration, sustainable land management and technological innovation, is well placed to strengthen South-South cooperation by sharing practical restoration solutions, scientific knowledge and innovation with other dryland countries facing similar challenges, she said.

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"As one of the world's leading restoration practitioners, China can help demonstrate that restoring land is not only achievable at scale, but also economically beneficial and socially transformative," Fouad said.

"Restoration is no longer viewed simply as a cost. It is increasingly recognized as one of the smartest investments countries can make for food security, water security, economic resilience and long-term prosperity," she added.

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn