| Event | World Desertification and Drought Day |
| Date | Celebrated annually on June 17 |
| Recognized Individual | Siddhesh Sakore from Maharashtra, India |
| Award | Land Hero by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) |
| Location of Announcement | Bonn, Germany |
| Total Land Heroes Recognized | 10 individuals from various countries |
| Countries of Land Heroes | Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Mali, Moldova, Morocco, the Philippines, the US, Zimbabwe, and India |
| Background of Siddhesh Sakore | Farmer and founder of AGRO RANGERS; holds a degree in mechanical engineering |
| Contributions of Sakore | Developed cost-effective mechanical devices for composting organic waste; promotes natural farming and waste management |
| UNCCD Citation | Praised Sakore's dedication to addressing economic and environmental challenges faced by farmers |
| Global Impact | Land degradation affects up to 40% of the world's land and nearly half of the global population |
| Key Calls to Action | Unified global action to combat land degradation; collaboration among governments, businesses, academics, and communities |
| UNCCD Headquarters | Bonn, Germany |
| UNCCD Members | 197 parties (196 countries and the European Union) as of 2024 |
| Executive Secretary | Ibrahim Thiaw |
| UNCCD Goals | Achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 15 |
| Future Event | COP16 in Riyadh |
| Statements by Leaders | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized the importance of land restoration |
