Have you heard about the UNCCD Land Heroes Campaign? Are you a champion in sustainable land management, raising awareness of land’s link to biodiversity and climate? If yes, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has offered a cash prize with extra benefits to accept your solutions and accompany you in making more.

UNCCD Land Heroes honors and backs young individuals and youth-led organizations combating desertification, land degradation, and drought. Through online engagement, we boost awareness, spotlight success stories, and empower youth as change-makers in sustainable land management. Following the success of our inaugural 2020 cohort, the second Land Heroes cohort continues to motivate and mobilize youth towards the UNCCD’s goals.

Part of the Land for Life Programme, #LandHeroes highlights youth’s commitment to sustainable land management. These individuals and groups share their impactful journeys through social media, videos, blogs, and our dedicated website, recognizing young men and women as crucial change agents. Join us in celebrating these outstanding land champions.

The main objective of this campaign is to Identify, celebrate, and support youth aged 18-35 involved in sustainable land management. Raise awareness of the interconnection between land, biodiversity, and climate. Inspire change through storytelling, unite youth, offer mentorship, and showcase the collective impact of our efforts.

Campaign goals:

UNCCD Land Heroes Campaign goals consist of the following points:

• Increase awareness of land’s role in biodiversity and climate.
• Spotlight diverse ways youth positively influence the land.
• Share inspiring stories of collective progress.
• Empower youth to spread campaign messages and take action.
• Provide mentorship in sustainable land management.
• Share success stories to foster understanding and awareness.

Key Dates and Details

Submission Deadline: 29 February 2024

Desertification and Drought Day: June 2024

Participation at COP16: December 2024

Organizer: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Duration:  Two years

Focus Area: Sustainability

Benefits of the UNCCD Land Heroes Campaign

Participants will get the following benefits from the Land Heors Campaign:

• The top finalists in each category will receive a grant of USD 1,000
• Attend the high-level UNCCD meetings
• Featuring and recognition through interviews, media, and social platforms
• Mentorship for communication, leadership, and project management
• Opportunities to support UNCCD through workshops, advocacy, and content creation
• Attending innovation forums and participating in challenges
• Coordinating with other Land Heroes for workshops and collaborative projects

Eligibilities Criteria

Applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Applicants should be youth aged between 18-35 to address land challenges
• Be role models inspiring peers through dedication
• Be an inspirational leader mobilizing youth for collective responsibility
• Have passion and commitment to combat desertification and degradation
• Have a vision for change
• Collaboration with stakeholders for effective partnerships
• Have strong communication skills for effective online presence to inspire action

Categories of Land Heroes

This campaign consists of the following categories and sub-categories:

Building Resilience to Drought:

• Early Warning Systems: Implementing proactive measures to predict and respond to drought conditions effectively.
• Mitigating Drought Impacts: Developing innovative strategies to reduce the effects of drought and ensure a sustainable water supply.
• Expanding Inclusive Approaches: Promoting strategies that can be scaled up to larger populations and include vulnerable communities, enhancing resilience to drought.

Restoration of Land:

• Large-Scale Land Rehabilitation: Taking a leadership role in restoring degraded land on a massive scale, contributing to ecosystem restoration and the preservation of biodiversity
• Community-Based Land Revitalization: Implementing impactful initiatives that focus on restoring degraded land at the community level, improving livelihoods and resilience.

Promoting Inclusivity and Equality:

• Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Initiatives to achieve gender parity in land ownership, decision-making processes, and conservation endeavors.
• Fostering Social Equity: Initiatives that target poverty reduction, the promotion of social cohesion, and related goals.
• Recognizing Indigenous Knowledge: Amplifying the importance of indigenous knowledge and practices and acknowledging their vital role in sustainable land management.

Advancing Science and Innovation:

• Encouraging Innovation: Promoting novel approaches to sustainable land management.
• Leveraging Technology: Utilizing land monitoring, data analysis, and disseminating knowledge about sustainable practices.
• Supporting Scientific Research: Contributing to scientific research and evidence-based decision-making in land management.

How to Apply?

To apply for the UNCCD Land Heroes 2024, please follow these guides:

• Anyone from around the world can submit video, photo, or art.
• Applicants can submit a short-form video of up to 90 seconds long or a long-form video of up to 5 minutes long.
• Applicants can alternatively upload a link to a video or photos/art:
  1. Publish the post on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, tag the @UNCCD, and use the official hashtags of the contests #LandHeroes
  2. Share Google Drive or an unlisted YouTube link. Make sure that the video’s privacy settings allow public access. Add the video or photo/art link here.

Apply Now

Visit the UNCCD official website for more details about the UNCCD Land Heroes Campaign 2024.

You apply for these opportunities:

DAAD EPOS Scholarship for MSc in Global Urban Health at the University of Freiburg, Germany

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