Aadivasi Welfare Foundation is now an accredited UNCCD COP observer
Aadivasi Welfare Foundation (AWF) has been granted observer status to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), following a recommendation by the Convention's secretariat at COP17. The accreditation is valid for sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies.
It gives AWF a place in a global forum where governments, scientists and civil society work on one of the world's most practical environmental challenges — protecting productive land, restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening resilience to drought — and a platform to bring our experience with India's rural and tribal communities into that conversation.
What the UNCCD is, and why it matters
The UNCCD is the international, legally binding framework focused on desertification, land degradation and the effects of drought. It brings together 197 Parties — 196 countries and the European Union — and connects healthy land to food and water security, livelihoods and economic opportunity.
Land degradation is not confined to deserts: a landscape can lose productivity through soil erosion, declining vegetation, depleted water resources or difficult land use. Restoration calls for more than planting saplings — it takes thoughtful soil and water management, well-chosen vegetation, community participation and sustained care over time. The Convention's goal of land degradation neutrality is to protect, sustainably manage and restore land so the overall resource base is maintained or improved.
For India, this agenda speaks directly to farmers, forest-dependent communities, wildlife habitats and the companies investing in credible landscape restoration.
Inside a UNCCD COP
COP stands for Conference of the Parties — the UNCCD's highest decision-making body. Representatives of the Parties, together with the European Union, gather roughly every two years to review progress and shape how the Convention is implemented.
Committee on Science and Technology (CST)
Provides the scientific and technical advice that grounds the Convention's decisions in solid evidence.
Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC)
Examines how the Convention is being put into practice by Parties on the ground.
Civil society observers add a further, essential perspective: what land degradation and restoration actually look like in communities and project sites. Observers can follow official proceedings, contribute through available participation channels, meet fellow practitioners and share experience at eligible events. The Parties make the decisions; organisations like AWF help connect those decisions with realities on the ground.
Why this accreditation matters for AWF
It reflects the UNCCD's recognition that AWF's work is relevant to the Convention, and it comes with a welcome responsibility: to contribute usefully to the global conversation on land restoration.
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Bring local experience into global discussion
Share what AWF has learned about community participation, tree survival, soil and water conservation, and sustainable livelihoods.
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Learn from other regions
Study approaches to drought resilience, restoration and monitoring from around the world that can strengthen our work in India.
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Build credible collaborations
Connect with researchers, civil society organisations, institutions and potential partners working on land restoration.
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Improve practice at home
Translate relevant learning into stronger project design, more careful field monitoring and transparent reporting.
Rooted in work on the ground
AWF works with rural and tribal communities on tree plantation, social forestry and livelihood initiatives across India. Different sites call for different solutions — planting on suitable degraded land is often paired with soil and water conservation or livelihood activities, so that every intervention fits the landscape and the people who live with it.
Community engagement
Working with the people who live alongside each site from the start.
Site assessment
Understanding local land use, water needs and priorities.
Species selection
Choosing vegetation suited to the specific landscape.
Plantation
Establishing trees with care and local knowledge.
After-care & monitoring
Following through so trees survive and communities benefit.
Where a project includes an afforestation, reforestation or revegetation (ARR) carbon component, that adds its own requirements for eligibility, measurement and verification — AWF's role and any carbon-credit status are explained on each relevant project page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UNCCD, and why is it relevant to India?
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) brings countries together to address land degradation, desertification and drought — issues that affect soil productivity, water availability and rural livelihoods. For AWF, the connection is direct: our community-led tree planting and conservation work aims to improve degraded landscapes while supporting the people who depend on them.
What is the UNCCD Conference of the Parties, or COP?
COP is the Convention's highest decision-making body. Representatives of its Parties review progress and make decisions on implementing the UNCCD, informed by research from scientists and practical experience from civil society organisations. AWF takes part as a civil society observer.
Why was Aadivasi Welfare Foundation granted observer status?
AWF received notification that COP17 granted it observer status following a recommendation from the UNCCD secretariat. Our community-led work on degraded land, tree planting, soil and water conservation, and livelihoods aligns closely with the Convention's mandate.
What can AWF do as a UNCCD observer?
AWF can take part in COP and subsidiary-body sessions under the applicable procedures, follow discussions, exchange experience with other organisations and share lessons from our work in India — while bringing useful learning back into our own projects.
How does planting trees on degraded land support the UNCCD's goals?
Well-planned planting is one part of land restoration. The choice of land and species, protection of existing ecosystems, water and soil management, community involvement and care after planting all determine whether an intervention remains valuable over time — practical steps that connect directly with the UNCCD's wider focus on healthier, more productive land.
Why does AWF work with rural and tribal communities on restoration?
People living alongside a restoration site understand its land use, water needs and livelihood priorities best. Their participation shapes the project and its long-term care, which is exactly the kind of participation and partnership the UNCCD emphasises in responding to land degradation.
How are AWF's projects across India connected to the global UNCCD agenda?
The UNCCD provides an international framework, but restoration happens at specific sites. AWF's projects across India offer real lessons — from species choice and water management to tree survival and community livelihoods — that we can bring to UNCCD exchanges, while applying learning from elsewhere to our work at home.
Where does ARR fit into land restoration and the UNCCD's work?
ARR means afforestation, reforestation and revegetation. These activities can help establish or restore vegetation, and eligible projects may use a carbon methodology to measure removals. The UNCCD's land restoration agenda is broader still — it also considers land productivity, water, resilience and livelihoods. AWF draws on that wider perspective when designing tree planting and, where applicable, ARR initiatives.
How can an Indian company support work aligned with the UNCCD's goals?
A company can support a site-specific project that addresses an identified land problem and includes community participation, suitable interventions, long-term care and transparent monitoring. AWF can discuss how tree planting, soil and water conservation, and livelihoods fit a particular location and CSR objective. Contact AWF to explore a collaboration.
Connect with AWF
Interested in tree plantation, land restoration or community livelihoods in India? Explore our projects or get in touch to discuss a collaboration.