UNCCD offers $1.3bn rangeland finance, advises Nigeria on investor appeal
At the UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia, Louise Baker said $1.3 billion in new and pipeline finance has been announced for rangeland restoration, showing growing investor interest. She outlined four financing mechanisms: project preparation support, sovereign instruments like debt-for-nature swaps, domestic policy levers such as tax incentives and payments for ecosystem services, and risk-sharing tools including index-based insurance. For Nigeria, where over half of rangelands and 23.4% of national territory (about 21 million hectares) are degraded, restoration could yield $4–$6 for every dollar invested, rising to $36 when wider benefits like water security are counted. To attract investors, Nigeria needs clear tenure and grazing rights, commercial anchors in livestock or dairy value chains, drought risk instruments, and a pipeline of bankable projects. The UNCCD Global Mechanism offers help with feasibility studies, matching projects to funds like the GEF or GCF, national drought planning, and private-sector matchmaking through Business4Land hubs. Carbon finance can benefit farmers only if it includes measurable land health gains, equitable benefit-sharing, affordable MRV, and pre-financing of credits. Baker stressed that carbon is just one tool—biodiversity and resilience credits also matter.