The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) recently launched the Silk Road Caravan in Türkiye, marking the beginning of a major journey across Eurasian countries to raise awareness about the importance of rangelands and pastoralist communities ahead of the UNCCD COP17 conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August 2026. The initiative supports the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 and aims to highlight the role of rangelands in ensuring food and water security, climate stability, biodiversity protection and economic resilience.
Following the path of the historic Silk Road, the Caravan will travel through countries including Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, Russia and Mongolia. The journey will bring together pastoralists, filmmakers, researchers and environmental experts to document stories and solutions rooted in both traditional knowledge and modern science. Through field visits, interviews and community interactions, the initiative seeks to showcase the close connection between people and land, especially in dryland regions that are highly vulnerable to desertification and climate change.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Antalya, Türkiye, UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad said rangelands cover more than half of the Earth’s land surface and support billions of people, yet in many regions they are disappearing rapidly. She noted that the Silk Road Caravan aims to bring global attention to these landscapes and the communities that protect them.
Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Hasan Suver described the initiative as a symbolic and meaningful awareness campaign promoting sustainable land management and pastoral livelihoods.
UNCCD Goodwill Ambassador Inna Modja, who travelled over 1,000 kilometres with the Caravan in Türkiye, said the journey would amplify the voices of pastoral communities and celebrate cultures shaped by the land.
The Caravan builds on momentum from UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, where countries adopted the Convention’s first-ever decision focused on sustainable rangeland management. The journey will conclude at COP17 in Mongolia, where global leaders are expected to strengthen international cooperation on restoring and protecting rangelands worldwide.
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