Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — A major revival of degraded land across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger was recognized today by the UN as one of three new World Restoration Flagships. Since 2018, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative has strengthened food security and livelihoods for more than four million people by rehabilitating over 335,000 hectares of land, helping improve agricultural production, livelihoods, and reduce humanitarian needs.
Announced during a high-level event at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative was recognized under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the awards recognize some the world’s ambitious and impactful ecosystem restoration efforts.
“The impacts of climate change, drought and desertification, as well as ongoing geopolitical tensions, are hitting global food systems hard,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Investing in healthy land is one of our strongest defenses against these threats. The three initiatives recognized today show that restoring ecosystems brings significant benefits for all – from food security, new jobs, and greater resilience for millions of people.”
Recent data indicates a continued deterioration in food security across the region. An estimated 7.4 million people are projected to face crisis – Phase 3+ or worse – levels of food insecurity during the June-August 2026 lean season across the Sahel.
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To date, satellite-based monitoring shows that 75 percent of UN World Food Programme (WFP) resilience sites showed improved soil and vegetation conditions and participating households have maintained or improved their food security, with the proportion requiring humanitarian assistance declining by approximately 11 percent during the lean season.
By 2030, the initiative aims to restore 470,000 hectares, boost biodiversity, and lock away up to 20 million tons of CO₂ – equivalent to avoiding almost 47 million barrels of oil consumed.
The programme is delivering resilience gains across the region. In Chad alone, for example, more than 1 million people were reached in 2025 through interventions in 313 villages, including dune stabilization, soil restoration with stone bunds, and the construction of floodwater-harvesting dikes.
“Our lands are under enormous anthropogenic pressure due to intense migratory flows and the effects of climate change. Acting for their restoration is a priority, a shared responsibility. Any initiative taken in this regard deserves our support,” said Hassan Bakhit Djamous, Chad’s Minister of Environment, Fisheries and Sustainable Development.
Restoration techniques include water-harvesting infrastructure, agroforestry, wetland restoration, zai pits, stone bunds, and the planting of native species to improve soil fertility, water retention and vegetation cover in dryland ecosystems.
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Efforts also include school feeding, nutrition interventions, and livelihood opportunities, helping communities become more resilient to drought, conflict and climate shocks.
“Land degradation is not irreversible. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the capacity to make a difference. What we need now is greater investment to scale up these efforts and build lasting resilience. By transforming degraded watersheds into productive land, we are restoring not only ecosystems, but also livelihoods and human capital. This is the foundation for long-term food security and resilience for communities across the region.” Kinday Samba, WFP Regional Director for Western and Central Africa.
The Sahel initiative is implemented in partnership with governments, communities, UN agencies, and donors’ contributions, notably Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. It is one of 30 restoration initiatives recognized by the UN since 2022, with a combined area of nearly 20 million hectares already under restoration and of an area of almost 75 million hectares committed to restoration by 2030, while creating over 800,000 jobs and improving overall species populations.
