Regional and National

Action Programmes in

UNCCD Annex IV

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3Introduction to the UNCCD

On 17 June 1994 the United Nations launched a Convention

aiming at combating desertification in all affected regions of the

world through concrete actions of international cooperation.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

(UNCCD) entered into force on 26 December 1996; it is the only

legally binding treaty on desertification matters.

The UNCDD provides a common definition of Desertification as

land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas

resulting from various factors, including climatic variation and

human activities.

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4UNCCD objective

The UNCCD stated objective is to combat desertification and

mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious

drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through

effective action at all levels, supported by international

cooperation and partnership arrangements.

Affected and non-affected countries must act together in a

coordinated way to elaborate concrete and long-term strategies

focusing on eradicating poverty, promoting sustainable

management of resources, improving living conditions and

preventing long term consequences of desertification.

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5The bottom-up approach

The UNCCD promotes procedures and measures that integrate the

“top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches.

The “bottom-up” approach gives a central role to local communities

in the implementation of the UNCCD: they know more than anyone

else about fragile ecosystems in which they live and should be fully

involved in decision making and planning processes.

Action Programmes must provide for the effective

participation of main actors at the local, national and regional levels

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6

Regional implementation

The UNCCD defines five Regional Annexes for its implementation:

• Annex I for Africa

• Annex II for Asia

• Annex III for Latin America and the Caribbean

• Annex IV for the Northern Mediterranean

• Annex V for Central and Eastern Europe (newly established)

Each Regional Annex specifies scope, purpose and particular

conditions of that region and provides guidelines for the

preparation of Action Programmes which are the key

instruments to implement the Convention.

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Regional Annexes of the UNCCD.

Note: Albania, Slovenia, Bosnia and Croatia belong to both Annex IV and V.

Regional Annexes

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National Action Programmes (NAPs)

Affected country Parties are requested to elaborate

their NAP, the key element for the Convention

implementation.

NAPs provide the conceptual and legal framework

which integrates existing political and

institutional measures addressing

desertification related issues.

Their purpose is to identify the main factors

contributing to desertification and practical

measures to tackle.

NAPs have to incorporate long term strategies and

be consistent with the “bottom up” approach.8

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National Action Programmes (NAPs) (2)

The Nap implementation is coordinated and monitored by National

Coordination Bodies that includes representatives from the

different governmental institutions.

Each Country names a representative as national Focal Point for

the UNCCD.

Country parties are also requested to consult and cooperate to

elaborate Regional (RAP) and Sub regional (SRAP) Action

Programmes in order to increase the efficiency of NAPs.

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The UNCCD Annex IV for the Northern Mediterranean Region

In the northern Mediterranean area about 99.4 million ha,

corresponding to 32% of the total area, are arid, semi-arid or

dry sub humid*.

* Report of the Group of Annex IV Countries on the implementation of the UNCCD submitted to COP4, June 2000, www.unccd.int/cop/reports/northmed/regional/2000.

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The UNCCD implementation process in Annex IV

The group of the Annex IV countries that first ratified UNCCD

(Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey) took action to collaborate

on a regional basis and identified 7 main transnational priorities

(ToR) for SRAP elaboration :

1. identification of the most sensitive areas;

2. identification of common regional benchmarks and indicators for

processes and mitigation;

3. collection, analysis, and exchange of technical & scientific data;

4. exchange of data and information;

5. involvement of the civil society within the SRAP process;

6. identification of traditional knowledge and practices safeguarding

the quality of north Mediterranean landscape;

7. connection with existing regional and sub-regional initiatives

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The UNCCD implementation process in Annex IV (2)

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Between 2001 and 2004, further consultations

among Country parties were promoted by

MEDRAP, an EC funded project, with the aim of

supporting the elaboration of the Sub Regional

Action Programme for the northern

Mediterranean.

MEDRAP produced targeted recommended

measures and sound technical suggestions,

which should be incorporated into the ToR for

the SRAP elaboration.

Between 1999 and 2002 Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia,

Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia became parties to the UNCCD Annex IV

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•UNCCD ratification: March 1997 by Law N° 2468

•National Coordinating Body for UNCCD implementation: Greek National Committee to Combat Desertification (GNCCD)

• NAP approval: July 2001 by CDM 974/27-7-2001, published on the Official Gazette n° 99605/3719

200 0 200 400 Kilometers

N

EDITORS: N. Yassoglou K. Kosmas

A. Meliadou P. Gavriil

POTENTIAL DESERTIFICATION RISK IN GREECENational Committee to Combat Desertification

Low riskModerate risk due to soil erosionHigh risk due to soil erosionHigh risk due to salinizationLakesCities

LEGEND

National Action Programme for Greece

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National Action Programme for Greece (2)

The NAP for Greece was elaborated through extensive participatory

process and it aims at:

identifying and extending threatened areas; evaluating effectiveness of applied measures and policies;

formulating national strategy to prevent and mitigate desertification;

promoting sustainable land and water use;

promoting public awareness and active participation of populations;

selecting priorities and pilot areas;

rehabilitating affected areas;

providing guidelines and mechanisms for implementation

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•UNCCD ratification: June 1997 by Law N° 170

•National Coordinating Body for UNCCD Implementation: National Committee to Combat Drought and Desertification (CNLSD)

• NAP approval: December 1999 by CIPE Resolution 21/12/1999, n° 229

National Action Programme for Italy

Desertification risk maps for Sardinia, Sicily and Basilicata regions 15

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National Action Programme for Italy (2)

The NAP for Italy was elaborated coordinated and monitored by the

CNLSD. Regions and Watershed Authorities play a key role in the

UNCCD implementation at the local level and participate in the

identification of areas of intervention and in the selection of priorities

such as:

soil protection;

sustainable management of water resources;

reduction of the impact of the productive activities;

land restoration;

information and training;

research.16

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•UNCCD ratification: 1996

•National Coordinating Body for UNCCD Implementation: National Coordination Commission (NCC)

• NAP approval: June 1999 by Resolution of Cabinet n°69/99

National Action Programme for Portugal

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National Action Programme for Portugal (2)

The NAP for Portugal was elaborated by an Internal Coordination

Group of Ministry of Agriculture and supervised by NCC. It is the result

of a widespread participation of stakeholders and it integrates existing

planning tools having direct implication in the fight against

desertification. The NAP aims at:

soil and water conservation;

keeping working-age population in rural areas;

recovery of areas most threatened by desertification;

raising population awareness about desertification;

making fight against desertification an integral part of general and sectoral policies.

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•UNCCD ratification: January 1996

•National Coordinating Body for UNCCD Implementation: National Coordinating Body (OCN)

• NAP approval: September 2007

National Action Programme for Spain

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National Action Programme for Spain (2)

The NAP for Spain is the result of suggestions and contribution by

General State Administrations, autonomous and local Administrations

and all concerned groups of civil society. It identifies drought, forest

fires, improper use of water resources, socio-economical factors,

abandoned cultivation and overgrazing as the main desertification

cause in Spain.

Its objectives are:

to contribute to the sustainable development of arid, semi-arid and sub humid zones;

to prevent and reduce soil degradation;

to restore areas affected by desertification.

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21Conclusions

UNCCD implementation in the Annex IV Sub-Region is relatively

advanced; however harmonization of the NAPs is a difficult task

because in all European Mediterranean Countries the complex and

horizontal nature of desertification is reflected in many sectoral

policies.

NAPs mainly provide a general political framework recalling already

existing national policies or highlighting and proposing measures to

be adopted; furthermore all NAPs refer to local planning as the

natural implementation level.

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Conclusions (2)

Local Action Plans (LAPs) are an essential element in the fight against

desertification, reflecting the participatory approach called for by the

Convention.

LAPs can provide a framework for the implementation and integration

of existing local sectoral policies. They require the ascertainment that

extant sector-specific policies are in accordance with the NAP’s

provisions, consistent with each other and synergic.

The clear picture of the current situation of the area, the problems

encountered by local population and the analysis of available

measures, will enable the identification of ad hoc local plans of action.

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