Meet the ‘Land Heroes’ who are fighting desertification

Ten “Land Heroes” from around the world, all under the age of 35, have been chosen by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to share their achievements and ideas for sustainable land management in the face of the growing global threat of desertification and land loss.

As UNCCD’s 16^th global meeting on desertification, COP16, continues in Riyadh, meet the 2024 Land Heroes and read how they can inspire change, unite their peers, provide mentorship and demonstrate the transformative power of collective action.

Rokiatou Traoré, Mali

Rokiatou Traoré describes herself as a “green entrepreneur” and has been working in Mali to build a social enterprise based around products from the moringa tree.

Around 100 women have been trained to create products from 20,000 trees; They include organic teas, powders, oils, soaps, spices, and baby food which have been exported to more than seven countries.

In 2023, she produced 150,000 drought-resistant moringa tree seedlings from seeds for 5,000 women and young farmers.

“A seed is a life in dormancy,” she said. “Give it water, soil and protection and it can address desertification, women poverty and malnutrition for good. “

Her future plans are ambitious. By 2030, she wants to establish a network of millions of women moringa producers, plant 10 million Moringa trees, and export moringa-based products to national, regional, and international markets.

“Nothing is impossible to achieve with an unwavering will.”

Takudzwa Ashley Mlambo, Zimbabwe

Planting trees is also high on the agenda of Takudzwa Ashley Mlambo as they are crucial to efforts to regenerate land and reverse desertification.

His youth-led organization Forestry & Citrus Research (FACIR), aims to plant and monitor a total of one billion trees across Zimbabwe.

As a self-confessed disruptive innovator, he uses artificial intelligence and satellite monitoring to oversee the initiative.

He recognizes that reforestation is an important step to take to slow down climate change and keep global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. "The greener we go,” he said, “the cooler it becomes.”

Billie Crystal G. Dumaliang, Philippines

The Philippines is one of the most susceptible countries in the world to natural hazards and these hazards, like the recent spate of typhoons to hit the country are becoming more intense due to climate change.

The deforestation of lands and watersheds around the Filipino capital, Manila, has put the city at greater risk of extreme weather events.

Billie Crystal G. Dumaliang and the Masungi Georeserve Foundation that she leads has committed to an ambitious reforestation initiative aimed at restoring approximately 2,700 hectares of degraded watershed areas surrounding the Georeserve.

The project is crucial for reinforcing the natural defences of Metro Manila against the impacts of climate change.

“Filipinos are experiencing severe impacts of drought and land degradation to agriculture, wellbeing, and daily life,” she said, “so we need to preserve biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of drought and climate change. My organization does this through boots-on-the ground land protection, reforestation, and impactful storytelling powered by sustainable geotourism.”

Siddhesh Sakore, India

Growing up in what has been described as “a marginalized farming family”, Siddhesh Sakore has witnessed firsthand the economic hardships that farmers and their families endure.

One of the key issues his organization AGRO RANGERS has focused on is soil degradation, which directly affects the productivity of land and thus farmers’ livelihoods.

Soil degradation can be caused by improper use or poor management as well as erosion, flooding, desertification and contamination with chemicals.

His dream is to create livelihoods for farmers, especially in drought-prone areas of Pune where he works by transitioning from chemical farming to organic-based agroforestry practices.

"At AGRO RANGERS, we believe that the fight against land desertification and drought starts with sustainable, community-driven agricultural practices and the innovative approach of agroforestry.”

“By empowering farmers with the knowledge and tools to integrate trees and crops into their farming systems, we are restoring and protecting soil, nurturing the land for a resilient and sustainable future."

Astrid Peraza, Costa Rica

“Working alone is not an option to create meaningful change,” said Astrid Peraza and so she put this sentiment to the test as a youth climate educator in Costa Rica by developing "Rescuing Penguins," a collaborative board game designed to teach players about climate change and its solutions.

She also has been actively involved in the Vivero Verde Mar mangrove reforestation project in the Central American country, which supports environmental conservation and which helps to hold back the desertification of coastal areas.

“Coming together is so important in order to overcome the hardships of land desertification for communities,” she said, “because when we talk about climate change working alone is not an option.”

There are a total of 10 Land Heroes. Read more here.

Some of the Land Heroes are expected to attend COP16 in Riyadh