On this Desertification and Drought Day 2025, we join the global community in recognizing the critical role that land plays in enabling inclusive growth, climate resilience, and sustainable development. We reaffirm our commitment to combating land degradation and strengthening resilience against drought. We must work towards a land-positive future, where healthy land supports thriving communities, resilient ecosystems, and sustainable economies.

Guyana’s unique ecosystems face increasing pressure from unsustainable land use, climate variability, and anthropogenic drivers. Land degradation in the hinterland regions, exacerbated by unsustainable mining practices, shifting cultivation, and deforestation, poses challenges for soil fertility, water availability, and ecosystem services. In coastal zones, saline intrusion and land compaction further threaten agricultural productivity and food security. Yet, amidst these challenges lies opportunity. Through innovative land restoration, sustainable agricultural practices, and inclusive policies, we can reverse land degradation and build a more resilient and equitable future.

Each year, one million square kilometres of healthy and productive lands are being degraded worldwide. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) highlights that every $1 invested in land restoration can yield between $7-$30 in benefits. According to the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD, an investment of US$ 1 billion per day is needed to effectively combat desertification, land degradation, and drought from 2025 through to 2030. Global annual investments in land restoration and drought resilience amount to US$ 66 billion, with just 6% coming from the private sector.

This year’s theme, “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities”, reflects the need to shift from degradation to regeneration—turning degraded landscapes into engines of opportunity for people, biodiversity, and the economy. We recognize that restoring degraded land is not only an environmental imperative, but a socioeconomic opportunity. Rehabilitation of mining sites, adoption of sustainable land management practices in Indigenous communities, and nature-based solutions for water retention and agroforestry can generate cobenefits—create jobs, improve food security, and build climate resilience.

Through the Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management (SLDM) Project, the GLSC in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are collaborating with key local actors on efforts to tackle land and soil degradation. Intervention actions including Biochar application to improve soil conditions, vermicompost usage to encourage organic fertilization, and shade house farming with drip irrigation for multicrop production in degraded lands are in gear for piloting in Regions 4 and 10. In Region 7, intervention is focusing on pilot Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) with enrichment plantation for the restoration of deforested areas, alongside Vetiver Grass Plantation for mine tailing rehabilitation and soil protection, and the application of Brushwood Check Dam Technology to retain eroded sediments.

The Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Multicounty Soil Management Initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and Climate-Resilient Food Systems (SOILCARE) Phase 1 project has also earmarked a piloted intervention that is geared towards addressing drivers of land degradation through the rehabilitation of land and soil degraded area in Region 1, and pilot actions to support climate resilience in Regions 5 and 10. Although these initiatives are noteworthy, greater investment in restoration is needed in order to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

Guyana developed and is implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) to combat land degradation, and has further set targets and measures for achieving LDN. Additionally, in order to provide a strategic framework to proactively manage drought risks and enhance resilience across sectors, we have developed a National Drought Mitigation and Adaptation Plan (NDMAP), through the UNCCD Drought Initiative. Moreover, a key component of our Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 is land restoration, particularly in the context of combating land degradation and unlocking ecosystem and livelihood co-benefits.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought are not just environmental concerns, they are development challenges that demand cross-sectoral solutions. On this occasion, I urge all stakeholders: government institutions, local authorities, private sector, civil society, miners, loggers, farmers, youth, women, and indigenous communities to scale up investment in land restoration. Let us join forces in our national efforts to achieve LDN by 2030. By restoring land, we unlock real opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, gender equity, and intergenerational justice. Together, we can restore degraded lands, enhance food and water security, and strengthen our climate resilience.

Let this day serve not just as a reminder of what is at stake, but as a catalyst for bold action. By investing in land restoration today, we secure a better tomorrow for people, the country, and planet alike.

Let us act now because healthy land is the foundation of a resilient Guyana!