UNCCD COP17 Launches $1.2 Billion Rangelands Initiative

# UNCCD COP17 Launches $1.2 Billion Rangelands Initiative ### Why in News? At **UNCCD COP17** in **Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia**, countries launched the first global investment initiative focused specifically on **rangelands**, with **US$1.2 billion** across 45 projects. ### Key Details - **Rangelands** include grasslands, savannas, shrublands and pastures used by wildlife and pastoral communities; the source notes they cover about **54% of Earth’s land surface**. - The new initiative aims to restore degraded rangelands and strengthen the livelihoods of people who depend on them. - COP17 also unveiled the **Drought Resilience Index**, described as a tool for identifying specific vulnerabilities to drought. - Mongolia’s broader **Steppe Plan** linked rangelands with water-land management and nature-based infrastructure. ### Exam Connect - **UNCCD** → UN convention focused on **desertification, land degradation and drought** - **COP17** → Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia