6. Drought and Desertification

During 2012, international law and policy developments related to the issues of drought and desertification emanated from decisions taken at the eleventh Conference of the Parties (COP-11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) included a section on desertification and was subsequently endorsed by the UN General Assembly. COP-11 to the CBD met in Hyderabad, India, on 8–19 October. By the close of the meeting, delegates had negotiated and adopted thirty-one substantive decisions (report of the CBD’s COP-11 can be accessed at ). The decisions taken by COP-11 include Decision XI/3 on Monitoring Progress in Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–20 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which includes an indicator framework for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–20 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. This decision includes an annex with an Indicative List of Indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–20, with elements related to desertification. Target 5, which calls for halving by 2020 the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, and, where feasible, bringing it close to zero as well as significantly reducing degradation and fragmentation, includes ‘trends in proportion of land affected by desertification.’ Moreover, Target 15 would, by 2020, enhance ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks through conservation and restoration, ‘thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification.’