Published on: 2026-08-20
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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August 20, 2026 Climate and Environment
What if the infrastructure needed to combat climate change could also contribute to restoring the land on which it is located? At the UN conference on combating desertification, experts discussed how to combine the development of renewable energy with land protection and restoration. Participants presented successful examples of this approach from various countries around the world.
Thus, in South Africa, lands degraded as a result of mining are used to host renewable energy facilities; in the deserts of China, solar panel installations are combined with greening and water harvesting, and in India, a solar-powered irrigation system allows farmers to produce food and clean energy on the same plots of land.
Phasing out fossil fuels will require a significant expansion of solar, wind, and other renewable energy infrastructure. The area of land occupied by such infrastructure is expected to increase from the current 500 thousand hectares to three million hectares by 2032.
The development of renewable energy could potentially become “one of the largest transformations in land use in history,” said Julian Blan, head of the Biodiversity and Land Resources Division of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“The main question is no longer whether renewable energy will develop. It will develop. The question is whether this development will take place in such a way that the condition of landscapes and ecosystems improves, and people find themselves in more favorable conditions than before,” he said.
Everything depends on the local conditions
Experts noted that in the development of renewable energy, it is necessary to consider all aspects of land use—from areas occupied by solar panels to territories crossed by power lines. Maximizing the effect is enabled by multipurpose projects that, along with energy production, contribute to land restoration.
According to Murali Tummarukudi, Director of the Global Land Initiative of the G20 under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the condition and characteristics of the land must be taken into account even before project implementation begins.
“If we choose the right location, solar energy can become not only a source of power but also a tool for ecosystem restoration. However, under different conditions, the outcome may be different,” he said, emphasizing that local characteristics are decisive—whether it’s the pastures of Mongolia or the deserts of China.
How to Properly Plan Projects
The development of solar energy may require clearing the land of vegetation, disrupt the habitat of wild animals, or alter the natural water runoff, and in some cases, increase the risk of flooding.
Even carefully designed facilities can cause problems if there are too many of them in one area. For example, a UNEP assessment showed that several hydroelectric power plants in the Shire River basin in Malawi could have a negative impact on fish resources, biodiversity, and the lives of communities located downstream.
FAO/K. Purevrakchaa Almost 77 percent of Mongolia’s land resources are subject to degradation.
According to Julian Blan, it is necessary to change the very approach to project planning: before choosing a site for infrastructure construction, the entire surrounding landscape should be assessed – its biodiversity, water resources, settlements, animal migration routes, as well as vulnerability to floods and droughts. Currently, a plot is often selected first, and only then the possible environmental consequences are analyzed.
He added that local communities and their knowledge should also be considered in planning, as residents may be aware of risks of droughts, floods, and other threats that technical assessments do not always reveal.
Investments not only in electricity
Careful planning allows identifying areas where the development of renewable energy does not conflict with other types of land use, noted Gayatri Nair, a staff member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
As an example, she cited a successful solar-powered irrigation program in India that helps farmers with small plots of land. Instead of competing with agriculture for land, solar energy has become an additional source of income for farms.
Initially, farmers were reluctant to install solar panels on their plots. However, with the help of a digital platform developed in collaboration with a partner organization, they were able to determine which parts of their land were best suited for placing the panels.
Then the local energy company helped create a digital payment system that allows farmers to receive money for surplus electricity generated. Part of the energy is used to operate irrigation pumps, and selling the surplus provides farmers with additional income.
A promising approach, but not a universal solution
Although such examples from different countries provide grounds for optimism, they do not constitute a ready-made model that can be applied everywhere.
In the near future, UNEP will announce a global collection of examples of renewable energy projects that take into account land use interests, protection of water resources and biodiversity, as well as local communities. This will enable countries to rely on a broader evidence base as renewable energy develops.
As stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the world must simultaneously “get rid of dependency on fossil fuels” and “ensure large-scale protection and restoration of nature.”
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