CSO NEWLETTER AT UNCCD COP14 (Day 4)

1. ECO
P U B L I S H E D F O R 2 0 1 9 U N C C D C O P - 1 4 C S O
N E W S L E T T E R
4 S E P T E M B E R , 2 0 1 9
ONCE WE ARE UNITED, OUR VOICE
WOULD BE STRONG
John Kwon of Future forest hosted the session 'One
logo'. Former global CEO Samsonite also attended it.
'One Logo' is basically the impact of NGOs from all
over the world. Opening statement was given by Mr.
Pradeep Monga who is the deputy secretary general
of UNCCD. Major emphasis was given on the Goal 15
of the sustainable development goals. The land
ambassador of UNCCD and the chairman of future
forest, Mr. Byong Hyon Kwon gave his valuable
insights during the session. They showed their
concern by saying that currently we are segmented
and therefore our voice is not strong enough to be
heard. Once we are united, our voice would be
strong.
Followed by this was brief introduction by all
the cSOs. Mr. Ramesh Tainawala was awarded
with a momentum by the Future forest team and
thereafter he appreciated the efforts of
organisations and their active involvement in
this field. The main aim of this initiative was to
bring a massive impact across the globe.
Thereupon the CSO panel discussed the pros
and cons for having one logo to have a proper
mechanism.
It is to be understood that protecting land is a
fundamental social responsibility of human’s as
awhole wherein Governments, global
organisations and CSOs act as a catalysts to
achieve this. Renuka Bio farm is a self
sustainable ecosystem attempting to strike a
domino effect with a cost effective blend of
ancient Agricultural Practices and Modern
Techniques. Major practices include Indigenous
Cow based resources farming, on farm
production of Bio Green Manure, Solar energy
production, Invisible Micro Pond Technology
(IMPT) to increase water holding capacity in
land. Renuka bio farm is slowly changing the
perspective of local community in seeing
agriculture as an economically viable and
technologically feasible livelihood and
restoration of degraded lands is ubiquitous in
the local community.
CSO IN THE WORK OF GM
The speech started with focusing more on the
involvement of CSOs in the work of GM. They also
pointed out that the community led SLM and
restoration practices are the main contributors to
the LDN targets. Also, these practices have great
potential to be replicated to other areas. However,
the financial resources for such activities are often
not available for communities.
Therefore, there is a need for appropriate financing
mechanisms to support people and communities in
their restoration and their SLM practices. Hence GM
was requested to mobilize more funding within the
context of small grants program specifically for
communities to restore the land.
A BLEND OF ANCIENT AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES AND MODERN TECHNIQUES
The world is burning in many ways and one of the
major risks is losing the land we are indebted to
save. A thumb rule to restore land is to nurture it in
a way it deserves; it is as simple as that.

2. t LET’S DIALOGUE ON LAND TENURE
Land tenure issues, contribute to deforestation,
lowering of carrying capacities of soils, poaching
and extinction of wild biotic resources which in turn
leads to degradation of land. CSOs believe that Long
term land use rights must be secured by policy
processes and legal frameworks.
This is to ensure that people are certain that they
and their children’s children can use the land and
that it is therefore worth the effort to invest in land,
in growing trees, in soil health and in their
ecosystem. One of the five CSO’s priorities
established for COP14 in New Delhi, India states
that:
“Land tenure security of communities in general,
and of women, young people and vulnerable groups
specifically must be secured through a UNCCD
COP14 decision on implementation of FAO’s
Voluntary Tenure Guidelines (VGGTs).”
CSOs are valuable actors for people, communities,
authorities and governments working on land
restoration and SLM. They should therefore be
supported throughout the implementation of the
convention today, CSOs are organizing an open
dialogue session on land tenure wherein five
panellists representing Asia, Africa, East Europe,
Latin America & Caribbean and West Europe
& others respectively will present stories about
land tenure and LDN.
After this, the plenary will be open for a dialogue
between the government and the member parties.
As a consequence of which, the CSO invites all
associated parties and institutions for an active
dialogue on 5th September, 2019.
IMPROVING DESERTS AND SEMI-
DESERTS IN HAJIGABUL PADARCHOL
AND JEYRANHOL AREAS
The problem of desertification in the Azerbaijan
Republic mostly occurs inn the Absheron and
Kura-Araks lowland. The process of anthropogenic
desertification intensified as the result of increase
of population, inhabitance of refugees in the area,
extensive use of plant cover.
All of these impact the living of local population
and decreases farmers’ beneficiary. Providing of
food security, canceling of agricultural
commodities import dependence, increase of
country population benefit, providing employment
for young people are the main objectives of the
President of Azerbaijan. Implementation of these
duties is possible by development of degradation
and desertification of lands.
One of the private organizations differing with
large activity and improvement of soils in the most
arid and desert areas of the country is Agro Dairy
LLC. This organisation is cultivating annual crops
like corn, wheat, soyabean, sunflower, millet and
alfalfa on an area of 12.000 ha in Gobustan and
Jeyranchol area.
Agrodiary works on improvement of desert and
semi desert areas of 65 thousands ha in 3 points of
Azerbaijan, in Hajigabul, Samukh, Tovuz and tries
to contribute to food security. Recently, 20-25
thousands hectares of area was irrigated and the
works on irrigation of additional 20 hectare area is
being carried out. Steps are being taken to enrich
the quality of soil to make the area agriculturally
fertile.
Both in Gobustan-Padarchol, and Jeyranchol the
employed people are the young persons of local
communities. With the execution of this project,
the infrastructure in those areas was also
improved and in the future it would prove to be a
good contributor towards the growth of the
economy.