Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on UNCCD CoP 17.The 17th Conference of Parties (CoP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026, under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” In this context, let’s know about the UNCCD and the key highlights of CoP 17.1. A major global agreement on issues related to land, the UNCCD was established in 1994 to protect and restore land and to address the phenomenon of desertification, the process through which fertile and productive land becomes degraded and unfit for useful activities like agriculture. 2. The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework for addressing desertification and the effects of drought. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union.3. The Conference of the Parties was established by the Convention as its main decision-making body. It consists of governments and organizations like the EU and guides the Convention to address global challenges and national needs.4. The COP has been meeting biennially since 2001. Notably, UNCCD COP16 took place from 2-13 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Key Highlights of CoP 17 of UNCCD1. Community-Led Restoration of Rangelands: India emphasised on the critical role of rangelands in sustaining pastoralist communities, conserving biodiversity and regulating water and carbon cycles. Story continues below this ad2. Shift from Drought Response to Drought Resilience: India called for a fundamental shift in the global approach to drought – from reactive relief to proactive, technology-enabled resilience. He also highlighted India’s coordinated, multi-institutional approach integrating early warning, mitigation, relief and community resilience.3. India’s first guide to grasslands: India launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) of India at the COP 17 to the UNCCD. India’s Guide to Grasslands and ONEs marks an important step in the direction of strengthening their conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. — It highlights the rich diversity, ecological significance, and socio-economic importance of India’s grasslands and other open natural ecosystems.— It brings together information on major ONEs across India, covering their geographical settings, ecological characteristics, biodiversity, and the communities and tribes associated with them. It also contains sections on pastoralism, fire ecology, and carbon sequestration. Story continues below this adALSO READ | UPSC Issue at a Glance | Food Safety in spotlight: What IAS Tukaram Mundhe’s drive brings into focus— The minister for environment, forest, and climate change, Bhupender Yadav, described the guide as an important step towards recognizing India’s open natural ecosystems and stressed the need for their science-based conservation alongside forests.— Notably, India’s ONEs range from Himalayan and Terai grasslands to the Thar and Banni landscapes, rocky plateaus, ravines, scrublands, Deccan savannas, coastal ecosystems, and desert landscapes.4. India calls for Diversified and Sustained International Finance for Land Restoration and Drought Resilience: Restoration of degraded land is not a cost but an investment in food, water, biodiversity, livelihood and long-term resilience, said Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.— The minister highlighted India’s blended green-finance framework, which enables financing for climate-change adaptation, sustainable land use, forestry and agriculture, afforestation and biodiversity conservation, as per a government press release.Story continues below this adBEYOND THE NUGGET: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought andBonn Challenge1. June 17 is observed as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought under the UNCCD. The day serves as a global platform to raise awareness and promote action against desertification, land degradation and drought. 2. The theme for this year is “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.” Notably, the UN has declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP).India’s Second progress report on the Bonn Challenge1. India has restored 21.7 million hectares of degraded and deforested land between 2011 and 2020, according to the country’s second progress report on the Bonn Challenge released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on 17th June, 2026. This includes restoration through planted forests, natural regeneration, silviculture, agroforestry, and mangrove restoration.2. The Bonn Challenge is a global initiative launched in 2011, with the efforts of the Government of Germany and IUCN. IUCN acts as the Secretariat of the Bonn Challenge.Story continues below this ad3. The Bonn Challenge makes a commitment to restoring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes by 2020, and an additional target of 350 million hectares by 2030.4. The Bonn Challenge is a direct contribution to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It offers a practical way of achieving international commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), and the Paris Agreement.Post Read QuestionWhat is/are the importance/importances of the ‘ United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’ ? (UPSC CSE 2016)1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships.Story continues below this ad2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation of a major portion of financial resources to these regions.3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating desertification.Select the correct answer using the code given below:(a) 1 only(b) 2 and 3 only(c) 1 and 3 only(d) 1, 2 and 3Answer key(c)(Sources: Land restoration not a cost but investment in food, water and livelihood: Environment minister, Knowledge Nugget | India’s first guide to grasslands: Why it matters) Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for August 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com Story continues below this adSubscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X