This event will highlight the crucial role that marginalized groups play in restoring degraded landscapes, enhancing drought resilience, and combating desertification.  

It will explore how equity can be centered in global landscape restoration initiatives, focusing on including Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, women, and youth in decision-making processes.  

It will draw on experiences from the Restore Local project in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, where restoration champions from marginalized groups are leading efforts to restore degraded lands while addressing historical inequalities in resource management. These efforts are revitalizing ecosystems and strengthening communities' resilience to recurring droughts and extreme weather conditions.  

The event will showcase strategies for ensuring these groups' meaningful participation in policy dialogues, implementation, and leadership within the landscape restoration agenda. It will also demonstrate how inclusive approaches can accelerate these efforts and build resilience to drought.  

This event will provide a platform for these underrepresented voices to share their experiences, challenges, and solutions, contributing meaningfully to the discourse on achieving the goals of the UNCCD.