UNEA-7 side event charts a path for climate-resilient land, water and food systems
The high-level meeting at UNEA-7 brought together policymakers, scientists, farmers, pastoralists, and private-sector leaders to discuss how to turn innovation into real impact for climate-resilient land, water, and food systems.
The global effort to combat climate change and ensure food security is reaching a critical inflection point that resilience will only be achieved by managing soil, water, and nutrients as one interconnected system, according to participants at the high-level meeting of the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). Co-organized by Morocco and Costa Rica, together with CGIAR and OCP Group, the side event, “Innovating for Climate Resilience: Solutions for Sustainable Land, Water and Food Systems,” brought together policymakers, scientists, farmers, pastoralists, and private-sector leaders to discuss how to turn innovation into real, on-the-ground impact for climate-resilient land, water, and food systems.
Moderated by Robynne Anderson, president, EmergingAg, experts at the event agreed that groundbreaking technical innovations are not enough; success now depends on integrated, cross-sectoral impact powered by supportive policy and scalable finance - known also as social innovations. A significant focus was placed on soil health as the unifying thread linking food security, climate action, biodiversity, and livelihoods. Speakers warned that the world continues to lose billions of metric tons of fertile soil each year, undermining agricultural productivity and resilience, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions.
In his keynote address, Rashid Farhadi, Director of Cooperation, Partnership and Communication for the Ministry of Energy, Transition and Sustainable Development, Morocco stated, “To address climate and food insecurity, we must think in systems, land, water and nutrients. Our interdependent and climate-resilient food systems depend not only on innovation in crops or finance, but also on how we manage soils. Soils are carbon sinks, water buffers and biodiversity reservoirs. Investing in soil health is therefore a priority for adaptation and one of the most cost-effective mitigation pathways, when combined with efficient science-based nutrient use.”
He noted that improving nutrient use efficiency through localized, crop-specific and climate-aware strategies is now a scientific, economic and environmental necessity. Precision fertilization, supported by soil diagnostics and real-time farmer advisory, can raise yields, reduce losses and lower emissions.
Batbaatar Bat, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mongolia, highlighted in his introductory remarks Mongolia’s practical solutions linking policy, finance, and innovation. He noted how index-based livestock insurance protects herders from drought, stabilizes rural lending, and supports better pasture management, while partnerships in the cashmere and dairy value chains have increased incomes and promoted sustainable land and water stewardship. He also announced that at UNCCD COP17 Mongolia will launch three initiatives linking land degradation neutrality, NDCs, and national biodiversity goals, focused on rangelands, the land–water nexus, and nature-based solutions for resilient infrastructure, supported by blended finance, innovative instruments, and international cooperation.
Moving beyond policy barriers and silos: The land–water–nutrient nexus
A central message from the event was the need to abandon fragmented approaches. Land degradation, water scarcity, nutrient inefficiency, and food insecurity cannot be addressed in isolation. Instead, speakers called for integrated land–water–nutrient governance, echoing UNEA-7 resolutions and the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Rio Conventions.
Country experiences illustrated what this looks like in practice. Morocco (with less than 600 cubic meters of renewable water per capita, and facing severe water stress and recurring drought that threaten its food systems and rural livelihoods) shared how national strategies now align water planning, soil restoration, and sustainable nutrient use. These strategies include the National Program for Drinking Water and Irrigation that aims to improve efficiency and secure supply; the Green Generation 2030 Strategy that is strengthening soil fertility, sustainable inputs and agro-ecological practices; and emerging initiatives on soil preservation, erosion control and soil mapping to guide nutrient strategies.
Costa Rica highlighted how integrated public policies link agricultural productivity with ecosystem restoration, demonstrating coherence between global commitments and local action.
Equity, governance, and inclusion
Beyond technical solutions, the event underscored that resilience is ultimately a political and social choice. Equity and rights-based approaches were highlighted as essential to overcoming power imbalances in food systems that hinder transformation.
Participants stressed that an integrated food system requires integrated governance. This means replacing traditional, sector-focused decision-making with mechanisms that bring together ministries across agriculture, environment, finance, and other sectors. Inclusive governance mechanisms - bringing together ministries, scientists, private actors, farmers, youth, and pastoralists - were presented as promising models. Participants stressed that those most affected by climate change must also have a voice in shaping solutions.
Speakers noted that the policy environment must be guided by equity- and rights-based approaches to address power differentials and ensure that farmers, pastoralists, and the most vulnerable communities have real agency in solution-setting processes.
Financing the transition from science to scale
The largest barrier identified to achieving climate resilience is the challenge of scaling innovations. While participants agreed that solutions already exist - from conservation agriculture and precision fertilization to regenerative practices and efficient irrigation - the challenge lies in scaling them up. Too often, innovations remain trapped in pilot projects. Moving them beyond successful pilots requires a massive influx of capital and economic incentives.
“What is needed now is alignment of capacities, financing and governance. The world stands at a crossroads by choosing coherence and ambition,” stated Farhadi,” adding, “We can build resilient ecosystems, secure food systems and protect the communities that depend on them.”
Experts called for new financial mechanisms, such as carbon credit systems and other economic instruments, to help de-risk the transition for farmers and pastoralists. By linking sustainable practices to viable economic returns, the necessary shift towards resilient, nature-positive food systems are achievable for land users worldwide.
Soil scientists and development partners emphasized the importance of translating data into decision-ready evidence that can inform policy, unlock finance, and de-risk investment. National soil health strategies, inclusion of soil indicators in climate and biodiversity plans, and stronger extension services were all identified as critical enablers.
“We have a responsibility now to translate science, data, evidence into action,” stated Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Global Research Lead for Soil and Land Health, CIFOR-ICRAF,’ adding, “Many of us have spent our entire careers filling these data and knowledge gaps on soil health, on land degradation. We must make sure these data are leveraged to inform policy, implementation, and the effort. I urge us to translate these data into evidence that can de-risk the financing.”
Fiona Flintan, Senior Scientist, ILRI, highlighted participatory rangeland management (PRM) as a practical example of how integrated land–water solutions can be delivered at scale. Developed through CGIAR research, PRM adapts lessons from participatory forest management to pastoral systems, placing communities at the center of land-use decision-making.
First piloted in Ethiopia more than a decade ago, the approach has since been implemented across millions of hectares and is now being scaled in Kenya and Tanzania, with uptake by regional bodies such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Flintan emphasized that PRM’s success lies in community ownership: rangeland management plans are led by pastoralists themselves, with governments, scientists and development partners playing a facilitating role. Private sector can play a role through sustainable financing for rangeland restoration as advocated for by the GEF-funded project STELARR (Sustainable Investments in Large-Scale Rangeland Restoration). The model aligns closely with UNEA-7’s call for integrated, inclusive land and water governance, demonstrating how locally led solutions can strengthen resilience in climate-vulnerable rangelands.
Livestock and rangelands are part of the solution
The event also challenged persistent narratives that pit crops against livestock. With rangelands spanning more than half of the Earth’s land surface and supporting millions of pastoralists, speakers argued that livestock systems are central to sustainable food systems, particularly in drylands where cropping is not a viable option.Responding to how and why livestock is integral to soil and nutrients and water systems, Shirley Tarawali, Assistant director general, ILRI presented livestock systems as central to climate resilience, particularly in drought-prone landscapes. “Half of the crops in Africa can only be produced because livestock are integral to those systems.”
She noted that, globally, in addition to 54% of land surface covered by rangelands, about 21% of the remaining 46% of land can only support livestock production due to aridity, with another 24% depending on close crop–livestock integration. These systems already operate as circular bioeconomies, recycling nutrients through manure that supplies nitrogen, phosphorus and soil organic carbon, especially when combined with targeted fertilizer use. She noted that integrated crop–livestock systems, PRM, and better manure use are ways to improve nutrient cycling, restore degraded land, and enhance water efficiency.
In her closing remarks, Doreen Lynn Robinson, Deputy Director for Ecosystems, UNEP offered two critical reflections on moving from theory to action: integration and accountability.
She noted that integration is often discussed but rarely achieved because it is fundamentally difficult. Doreen noted that while science and political are foundational, they are not enough. “We need to focus on behavior change. Integrated action requires institutional change and incentives. Not everyone is a natural systems thinker; we have to institutionalize those connections.”
While "win-win" scenarios are the goal, Doreen cautioned that optimization is complex. “We are here at UNEA-7 because of a triple planetary crisis (i.e., biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution) caused by how humans use land and water. Addressing the triple planetary crisis requires a "get real" approach to land and water use. We have to get real about trade-offs.
She noted that science is essential for putting those trade-offs and assumptions on the table to effectively measure and mediate them within the policy-making. We must also remain cognizant of power differentials, ensuring rights-based approaches and real agency for diverse voices in governance.
Doreen reaffirmed that UNEP is a committed partner in these difficult but necessary integrated efforts to support member states in transforming food and ecosystem systems.
Looking ahead: The road to Mongolia and beyond
The path from this dialogue leads directly to UNCCD COP17 - a pivotal moment to elevate the "land-water nexus" on the global stage. Crucially, 2026 has also been officially designated as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). This designation recognizes rangelands, which constitute half of the world's landmass, and pastoralists who steward them, are frontline actors in climate resilience. As highlighted by youth and scientific leaders at this event, the IYRP is not just a celebration but a call for systemic change - ensuring that those who manage the world's most vulnerable ecosystems have the financing, policy support, and agency they need to thrive. We invite all stakeholders to join the global movement for rangelands and pastoralists by visiting www.iyrp.info to explore how you can contribute to the 2026 agenda.
By aligning our science, our politics, and our financing, we can ensure that the "hope at the end of these two weeks" translates into a resilient future for our land, water, and food systems.