SCO Summit in Bishkek: Leaders from 17 countries plus UN chief António Guterres are set to meet for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and “SCO Plus” on Sept 1, with Xi, Putin, Modi, Erdogan, Tokayev and Mongolia’s President Khurelsukh among the expected attendees—keeping Central Asia’s security and regional cooperation firmly in focus. UNCCD COP17 Finance Push: Mongolia’s COP17 wrapped with a major funding headline: $1.3bn mobilised for land restoration and drought resilience across 23 countries, including a rangelands push, but negotiators still couldn’t lock in a global drought preparedness framework, kicking the tough call to COP18. Drought Policy Pressure: Egypt urged a legally binding drought protocol and more early-warning and integrated water-land management, while Bangladesh’s environment minister held COP17 bilateral talks on resilience, renewable energy and climate-resilient agriculture. Data Center Build-Out in China: Huawei’s rural expansion in Guizhou highlights how China is moving AI compute infrastructure westward to tap power and development opportunities. Agriculture Investment Gap: A UNCCD COP17 side discussion heard calls for more drought financing and PPPs to unlock investment in agriculture—especially where investors are hesitant. Industry Watch: A UN-linked ranking showed Russia leads global forest area share, underscoring how land and ecosystem policy remains tied to production and supply chains.