Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 19 August 2026 — On the margins of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), the Scientific-Information Centre of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (SIC ICSD IFAS) and Apacheta Foundation LLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation in the areas of sustainable land management, land restoration and environmental monitoring.
The Memorandum provides a framework for practical cooperation across a number of priority areas, including the development and application of land monitoring tools and datasets, capacity development in remote sensing and geospatial analysis, the exchange of knowledge and best practices, and the provision of technical assistance.
MoU signing ceremony. Photocredit to SIC ICSD.
The cooperation is particularly relevant in the context of the growing need for modern tools to monitor land conditions in arid and hyper-arid regions, including Central Asia. Combining Apacheta Foundation’s experience in applying innovative, data-driven approaches to land monitoring with the scientific expertise and extensive regional experience of SIC ICSD IFAS provides a foundation for the development and implementation of practical solutions tailored to the needs of countries across the region.
The signing of the Memorandum marks an important step towards strengthening cooperation between the two scientific and expert organizations and creating new opportunities for the exchange of technologies, knowledge and practical experience in the areas of sustainable land management, land restoration and the pursuit of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).
The event contributes to the achievement of:
| Priority Area No 5 dedicated to SDG 15: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” |
| 5.1.2 Capacity-building for sustainable management of forests, land, and pastures. |
| Priority area No 6 of REP4SD dedicated to SDG 17: “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” |
| 6.3 Strengthening of legal, institutional and technical frameworks of the ICSD and its bodies to ensure the implementation of regional programmes and projects, organization of environmental monitoring in Central Asia, and cooperation with other regional and international organizations for the sustainable development of Central Asia. |