On the road to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 17, the 2026 SSIG conference will promote the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. Covering about half the world’s land, rangelands are home to unique biodiversity and pastoral communities whose livelihoods depend on them.
The 2026 meeting of the Sahel & Sahara Interest Group (SSIG) will be held for the very first time in Cairo, Egypt!
This year’s meeting is made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED), who will co-organize the event with Sahara Conservation, ensuring an exceptional gathering in this landmark location.
The meeting will be structured around the following cross-cutting themes, focused on the Sahara and the Sahel:
- Restoring species: biology, management and recovery of threatened species.
- Sustaining ecosystems: sustainable management, restoration and conservation of protected areas, with a focus on desert and rangelands.
- Human/wildlife interactions & ecosystems health: complementary approaches for communities, wildlife and livestock in a desertification context.
Registration fees
- Regular rate: 180 EUR / 215 USD
- Range states residents and students rate: 90 EUR / 108 USD / 5,000 EGP
The payment link is in the registration form – or you can access it from here directly.
For a wire transfer, or other payment methods, please contact Julie Martin.
Call for abstracts
If you would like to present during the meeting, please submit your abstract before March 20th 2025 using the online form.