Abdulrahman Alfadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia spoke as 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) participating in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is being conducted in the capital of this Middle Eastern country.
According to UNCCD, this meeting represents “a propitious moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centred approach”.
Delegates arrive on the first day of the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Globally, up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has decreased.
This has serious consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods.
Drought, a priority issue at COP16, is becoming more frequent and severe, increasing by 29% since 2000 due to climate change and unsustainable land management.
Nurturing humanity
The United Nations Desertification Convention was agreed 30 years ago and the organization’s current Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw emphasizes the continued importance of restoring land lost to drought and desertification .
UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw speaks at COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Land restoration is essentially about nurturing humanity,” he said, adding that “how we manage land today will directly determine the future of life on Earth.”
He talked about his personal experience meeting farmers, mothers and young people affected by land loss. “The cost of land degradation permeates every corner of their lives.”
“They see rising grocery prices, unexpected energy surcharges and growing strain on their communities,” he said. “The loss of land is robbing poor families of nutritious food and robbing children of a secure future.”
Reversing land degradation
COP16 provides an opportunity for global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to come together to discuss the latest research and chart a path towards a bright future. sustainability of land use.
Small farms in northern Kenya are struggling to grow crops in increasingly arid conditions.
Mr. Thiaw said that together the world can “reverse the trend of land degradation,” but only if “we seize this critical moment.”
In a video speech at the conference, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called on delegates at COP16 to promote their role and “reverse the situation” by focusing on three priorities, including strengthening international cooperation.
She said it was important to “ramp up” recovery efforts and work towards “massive financial mobilization”.
Financing these efforts will be challenging and unlikely to come from the public sector alone, but according to the UN Deputy Secretary-General, “cumulative investments must total $2.6 trillion by 2030; That’s how much the world will spend on defense in 2023 alone.”
Drought is a constant threat in Somalia, in the Horn of Africa.
Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations attending the conference, Tahanyat Naeem Satti called for “ambitious and inclusive action at COP16,” adding that “the meaningful participation of women , youth, indigenous peoples, herders and local communities in decision-making processes at all levels”. must be institutionalized.”
She emphasized that “their insights and lived experiences are critical in shaping policies that effectively address land degradation and promote sustainable land management and restoration.”
The conference is expected to last 2 weeks until December 13 and will feature some intense discussions and negotiations as delegates push for the following outcomes.
- Accelerate the restoration of degraded land to 2030 and beyond
- Enhance resilience to increased drought and sand and dust storms
- Restore soil health and scale up food production that benefits nature
- Secure land rights and promote equity for sustainable land management
- Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions
- Open up economic opportunities, including sustainable land-based jobs for young people
Fast facts: The United Nations and desertification
- Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed up to join the United Nations. convention to combat desertification or UNCCD.
- The Conference of the Parties or COP is the main decision-making body of the UNCCD.
- UNCCD is the global voice on land, where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss challenges and chart a sustainable future for land.
- 16th meeting of COP (also known as COP16) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13.
- UNCCD is one of three “Rio Conventions”. along with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This is the result of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
