COP17 Mayors' Forum Seeks City Partnerships for Land Resilience
City leaders and development partners met in Ulaanbaatar for a COP17 Mayors' Forum focused on urban responses to land degradation, drought, water stress and climate risk. Ulaanbaatar's mayor proposed an Ulaanbaatar Declaration and an investment-linked initiative to convert shared city goals into action. The forum included representatives from 33 countries, 24 cities, 51 international organizations and 23 Mongolian organizations. Participants discussed nature-based solutions, technology, finance and cooperation between urban and rural areas. UNCCD leadership noted that cities will house more than half the world's population by 2050 and must integrate land and water management.
M-International Editorial DeskUpdated August 24, 2026
COP17's Mayors' Forum brought city leaders, researchers, development partners, financial institutions and businesses to Ulaanbaatar to discuss land degradation, drought, water scarcity and urban climate resilience.
Ulaanbaatar's mayor proposed an Ulaanbaatar Declaration expressing common city positions and a related initiative connecting those goals with action and investment. The forum involved 33 countries, 24 cities, 51 international organizations and 23 domestic organizations. Discussions covered nature-based solutions, technology sharing, green finance and the connection between rural land pressures and urban migration or pollution. The declaration and initiative were presented as planned outputs; their final text, financing and follow-up institutions were not included in the report.