G7 environment ministers have prioritised desertification and land degradation as global security risks, committing to increased financing and policy focus on land restoration and drought resilience.

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• The Group of Seven placed desertification, land degradation, and drought at the core of its environmental agenda during the ministerial meeting held in Paris on April 23–24, 2026.
• Ministers described land degradation as a “systemic global challenge” and a “security risk multiplier,” marking a shift from viewing it solely as an environmental issue to a broader geopolitical concern.
• Nearly 40% of global land is affected by degradation, impacting around 3.2 billion people and threatening agriculture, livelihoods, and economic stability across developing and vulnerable regions.
• The declaration highlighted that competition over shrinking land and water resources has intensified conflicts, with over 40% of intrastate conflicts linked to such resource disputes in recent decades.
• Yasmine Fouad emphasised that land degradation is not just an environmental issue but a major threat to global peace, stability, and sustainable development.
• G7 countries committed to scaling up land restoration efforts by mobilising public and private finance, promoting sustainable land management, and strengthening drought resilience strategies globally.
• Climate change was intentionally excluded from the formal agenda to maintain consensus, with discussions focusing instead on biodiversity, water management, pollution control, and environmental finance.
• The upcoming UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar was highlighted as a crucial platform to translate commitments into concrete global action on land restoration.