Economics of Rio Synergies Project

The urgency is clear: investments in nature-based solutions must increase 2.5-fold globally to reach USD 571 billion per year by 2030 in order to meet the objectives of the three Rio Conventions (SFN 2026). Creating synergies between the conventions is therefore essential to close the global financing gap.

About the project

Evidence from the first Rio Assessments of the ELD Initiative showed that coordinated action across the three Rio Conventions (UNCCD, CBD, UNFCCC) and its national commitments (LDN, NBSAP/KMGBF, NDC/NAP) is essential to tackle land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change — especially when funding is increasingly shrinking. It was shown that integration can reduce costs by 15–25%. Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP) is key for fostering synergies for turning cooperation into action. It helps balance different demands on land and creates multiple benefits.

The Economics of Rio Synergies Project therefore aims at combining the ELD Initiative’s approach to the economic assessment of Rio synergies with FAO’s new ILUP guidelines, ensuring alignment with UNCCD, CBD, and UNFCCC and pilot this unified approach in Mongolia.

© GIZ / Binh Dang

The Economics of Rio Synergies: Supporting Land-Biodiversity-Climate Action through Integrated Land Use Planning and Data Systems

The project will support countries to:

  • optimise land restoration for multiple benefits, including economic development, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, land degradation neutrality and food security;
  • identify cost-saving potentials and reduce transaction costs in implementing land-based targets under the Rio Conventions;
  • develop concrete policy recommendations and pathways for integrated planning, data and MRV systems across conventions;
  • inform ongoing Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting (LDN TSP 2.0) processes and the design of transformative programmes and projects.

 

The results of the pilot assessment in Mongolia will be presented at UNCCD COP 17 in Mongolia, the final study will be launched by the end of 2026. 

 

Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) the project is led by IRRI and developed in coordination with FAO, UNCCD, UNFCCC, CBD and ELD as well as Rangeland – Green Gold for the pilot in Mongolia.

Project Output

The Economics of Rio Synergies Project: Supporting Land-Biodiversity-Climate Action through 
Integrated Land Use Planning and Data Systems in Mongolia is designed to support the 
coordinated delivery of three outputs:

Output 1

  • A combined analytical approach: methodological guide that unifies 
    ELD Initiative’s Rio Synergies approaches and FAO´s ILUP guidelines,
    contributes to LDN TSP 2, GBF, NDCs
 

Output 2

  • Application of the above analytical approach to Mongolia
  • Spatial analysis and economic valuation
  • Land restoration investment roadmap
  • Institutional engagement and integrative planning processes
 

Output 3

  • Contributions to globalpolicy discussions:
  • A side/high-level-event during UNCCD COP in Mongolia (17–28 Aug)
  • A side-event or presentation in CBDCOP in Armenia (18–30 Oct)
  • A side-event or presentation in UNFCCC COP in Türkiye (9–20 Nov)
 

Partners

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