The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its partners have launched a new regional initiative to mobilize at least $2 billion by 2035 to address land degradation and desertification and strengthen drought resilience across Asia and the Pacific.
The Financing Investments and Eradicating Land Degradation and Desertification (FIELD) Initiative was launched on August 24 during a ministerial dialogue at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The initiative aims to help countries develop and finance projects focused on land restoration, sustainable land management and drought resilience.
Under FIELD, ADB, and its partners will use financing mechanisms including blended finance, de-risking structures and capital-market instruments to attract private investment into land restoration projects. An initial pipeline includes projects involving land and forest restoration, river-basin management and water resources.
Livestock supports a quarter of jobs and over 10% of GDP in Mongolia, but herders have long struggled to access financing.
Our new fund will provide loans, credit guarantees, and grants for sustainable livestock value chains, while helping restore rangelands and build… pic.twitter.com/Shoflvud2F
— Asian Development Bank (@ADB_HQ) August 24, 2026
The initiative aims to bring around 1 million hectares of land under sustainable management by 2035. ADB said worsening drought, soil erosion, and unsustainable land use are putting dryland ecosystems under increasing pressure.
These ecosystems support more than 40 % of the region’s population, making land degradation a threat to agricultural production, biodiversity, and food and water security.
ADB will also provide grants and technical assistance to its developing member countries to help them develop policies and build capacity for sustainable land management. A knowledge platform will further support countries in sharing expertise and developing investment opportunities.
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FIELD will operate as a dedicated land restoration and drought resilience window under ADB’s Nature Solutions Finance Hub, which seeks to increase investment in nature-positive projects across Asia and the Pacific.
The initiative has attracted interest from partners including, the UNCCD, Qatar Fund for Development and the Middle East Green Initiative. Existing partners of the Nature Solutions Finance Hub, including the International Union of Conversation of Nature, the European Union, the OPEC Fund for International Development and Germany’s development cooperation institutions are also involved.
The launch comes as countries across Asia and the Pacific face increasing pressure from drought, soil erosion, and unsustainable land use. By linking land restoration with large-scale financing, ADB and its partners are seeking to turn environmental commitments into investable projects while protecting livelihoods and strengthening the region’s long-term food and water security.
