This guide provides practical insights for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and donors on unlocking finance for Land Degradation Neutrality.
Drylands cover more than 40% of the Earth’s surface1 and are home to nearly one third of the global population. They are among the most vulnerable regions to climate change, land degradation, and water scarcity. Increasing demographic pressure, food insecurity, and growing competition for natural resources further exacerbate these challenges, often combined with socio-economic and political instability. As a result, communities in drylands face heightened vulnerability, reduced livelihoods, and a persistent risk of poverty. In this context, civil society organisations (CSOs) play a fundamental role. They bring people together around a shared vision of development, to support the resilience of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities. Over the last decades, CSOs have developed substantial technical and organisational expertise to combat desertification, restore ecosystems, and promote inclusive and sustainable development in drylands and other fragile landscapes. Yet many CSOs struggle to access predictable, timely, non-discriminatory, and longterm finance. Development aid is becoming more competitive, donor requirements more demanding, and information on funding opportunities more dispersed. At the same time, CSOs are asked to meet higher standards on governance, safeguards, monitoring, and evaluation. Developed under the CS4LDN (Civil Society for Land Degradation Neutrality) initiative and in partnership with the PASS-LCD (Structured Actions to Combat Desertification in the Sahel) project, this guide aims to support CSOs active in drylands across the globe in navigating the funding landscape, understanding access barriers, and strengthening their resource mobilisation strategies.
