ZERO warns on desertification as UN COP17 opens in Mongolia

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification's COP17 runs from 17 to 28 August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, gathering 197 parties to discuss land degradation, which affects up to 40% of the planet's land surface. Portuguese environmental association ZERO says the summit must move from commitments to action, particularly on drought governance, left unresolved at COP16 in Riyadh. ZERO highlights that 71% of mainland Portugal shows moderate to very high susceptibility to desertification, and urges the government to speed up revision of the national action plan (PANCD), due by end 2026, with funded, measurable targets integrating agriculture, water, forestry and land-use policy.