UNCCD COP17 Ulaanbaatar: Drought Tools Launched
Why in the news
The 17th meeting of the parties to the UN desertification convention ended in Mongolia’s capital with new tools to tackle drought. It also overlapped with the UN year devoted to rangelands and pastoralists.
Key facts
- Event: 17th session of UNCCD COP, held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 17-28 August 2026.
- Theme: “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.”
- India’s representative: Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister who looks after environment, forests and climate change.
- Overlap: the UN’s year for rangelands and pastoralists (IYRP 2026) ran at the same time.
- Next meeting: COP18 in 2028, hosted by Egypt at Sharm El-Sheikh.
Initiatives launched
| Initiative | Description |
|---|---|
| IDRO Phase-II | Second phase of the International Drought Resilience Observatory |
| Drought Resilience Index (DRI) | An AI-powered tool for monitoring and assessing drought |
| Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF) | Aims to raise as much as USD 400 million for drought resilience |
Exam angle
- Match the three drought tools with their purpose: observatory, AI index, investment facility.
- Host city and country of COP17 and of COP18 (with year).
- The 2026 observance tied to this COP: rangelands and pastoralists.