Fertile land loss, severe drought put SIDS at growing risk

The voice of vulnerable island nations is gaining urgency and prominence ahead of UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia, as as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face an escalating fight for survival amid severe drought, shrinking fertile land, and mounting climate pressures. According to a new information brief released at the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) in Panama, these converging threats are increasingly undermining food security, water access, and livelihoods across SIDS.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which prepared the brief, warns that the share of SIDS land affected by at least six months of extreme drought each year has soared to 17% between 2014–2023, compared to just 2% in the 1961–1970 period. Nearly 70% of people living in SIDS are now exposed to drought, underlining the accelerating impacts of climate change on some of the world's smallest and most isolated nations. Urban expansion, unsustainable farming methods, and extractive industries are further degrading limited land resources across SIDS—territories already grappling with narrow resource bases and high exposure to climate hazards. With 74 million people spread across 39 states and 18 territories, even marginal losses of productive land severely compromise food, water, and energy security. “Small Island Developing States remind us that taking care of our land is an existential matter,” said UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza. “We must urgently transform food systems and align policies to harness land as the basis for sustainable development. Investing in healthy land is essential to reducing community vulnerability in SIDS and beyond.”
Mounting Challenges in Fragile Ecosystems
The brief draws from the UNCCD data dashboard and other scientific assessments to outline the deepening vulnerabilities faced by SIDS:
•Food security: Limited arable land, high food import costs, and frequent climate shocks weaken domestic food production. Low soil fertility and exposure to salinization, storms, and drought compound malnutrition and import dependency.
•Land degradation: Colonial-era land-use practices and tenure insecurity continue to limit sustainable land and water management.
•Drought and water scarcity: Five SIDS—including Haiti, Martinique, Comoros, Marshall Islands, and Guam—face water scarcity, while three more suffer absolute water scarcity.
•Biodiversity loss: Despite occupying less than 0.5% of global land area, SIDS host over 20% of planetary biodiversity. Loss of ecosystems threatens soil fertility, pollination, water regulation, and coastal protection.
•Policy and data limitations: Many local institutions lack resources and technical expertise to adopt nature-based solutions or deploy high-quality land monitoring systems. Notably, eight of the top 20 countries on the Human Flight and Brain Drain Index are SIDS.
•Finance constraints: Of the development finance provided to SIDS between 2016 and 2023, only USD 487 million targeted drought, desertification, and land degradation. Five countries received 65% of that funding.
Land Governance Challenges Across Regions.Land governance remains a significant hurdle.In the Caribbean, deep-rooted tenure insecurity discourages investments in sustainable land management, entrenching environmental degradation and poverty cycles.In the Pacific, traditional land rights persist, yet rapid, unplanned urban growth is encroaching on limited arable land.“Spatial planning is a powerful tool to protect healthy land and strengthen climate resilience,” noted Fred Nicholas of the Cook Islands’ National Environment Service. “But its success depends on government agencies, customary leaders, and communities collaborating through a true ridge-to-reef approach.”
Cost-Effective Paths to Resilience
SIDS rely heavily on healthy landscapes for agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Many are adopting practices that improve sustainability and resilience:
•Integrated land-use planning: Balances competing demands for housing, agriculture, conservation, and tourism.
•Indigenous farming and agroforestry: Provides climate-resilient, cost-effective alternatives to monoculture farming.
•Dual land-use systems such as agroforestry, agrivoltaics, and urban farming strengthen food security while preserving ecosystem services.
To date, 26 of 39 SIDS that are Parties to the UNCCD have committed to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.
A Unified Front Ahead of COP17
SIDS continue to build collective influence in multilateral environmental negotiations. At the UNCCD SIDS Forum Workshop and side events during CRIC 23, leaders stressed the need for greater investments in land restoration, water management, waste systems, and integrated land-use planning.“SIDS know first-hand the brutal impacts of climate-related disasters, like the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica,” said Calvin James, coordinator of the UNCCD SIDS Forum. “We must accelerate land and drought action by sharing good practices, exchanging lessons learned, and amplifying our unique challenges and opportunities. COP17 presents a crucial moment for SIDS to be formally recognized as a unified voice.”The forthcoming Global Land Outlook for SIDS, expected ahead of UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia, will offer deeper insights into the land-related risks and resilience pathways for some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable communities.