This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought focuses on one of the most pressing global challenges: restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land and building a $1 trillion land restoration economy by 2030.
With the theme “Restoring Land. Unlocking Opportunities,” the 2025 celebration highlights how land restoration can create jobs, increase food and water security, support climate action, and build economic resilience.
More than half of global GDP depends on healthy ecosystems. Yet every year, an area the size of Egypt degrades, causing biodiversity loss, increasing drought risk, and displacing entire communities. The ripple effects are global, from rising food prices to instability and migration.
But land restoration turns the tables. Every dollar invested in restoration generates an economic return of $7 to $30. Revitalizing land restores productivity, strengthens water cycles, and supports millions of rural livelihoods.