The year’s most important climate summit, COP29, is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. Amid the plethora of discussions expected to take place over the next few days, the summit is also a crucial moment to reflect on the pressing issues of land degradation and drought resilience. Land, central to all human activities, provides essential ecological, economic, social and cultural services. However, its multi-dimensional importance is often overlooked, leading to severe land degradation and environmental decline.