By the end of the century, 5 billion people are expected to live in drylands. UN Conference on Desertification Pledges Over $12 Billion to Support Vulnerable Countries Climate and Environment
The largest UN conference on land degradation, desertification and drought has concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Delegates have pledged over $12 billion to combat these phenomena, especially in the most vulnerable countries.
Nearly 200 countries participating in the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP-16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification also committed to incorporating land restoration and drought resilience into their policies.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed:
“Our work does not end with the close of COP16. We must continue to fight the climate crisis – this is a call to action for all of us: for inclusivity, innovation and sustainability. Young people and indigenous peoples must be at the centre of these discussions. Their wisdom, voices and creativity are indispensable in creating a sustainable future for future generations.”
Financial needs
The conference announced that an estimated total investment of at least $2.6 trillion is needed to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and improve drought resilience by 2030.
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The meeting saw the announcement of new initiatives, such as the Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which has raised $12.15 billion to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries. In addition, the United States and other countries and partners announced investments of nearly $70 million to advance an initiative to adapt crops and soils to changing climate conditions.
The Role of Indigenous Peoples and Youth
Negotiators in Saudi Arabia agreed to establish ad hoc groups of indigenous peoples and local communities to ensure their unique perspectives and priorities are taken into account in the work of the Convention.
It is estimated that at least $2.6 trillion is needed to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and improve drought resilience by 2030.
COP16 also saw the largest youth participation in the history of UN conferences on desertification. Delegates also stressed the need to pay particular attention to the discrimination faced by women and girls when developing and implementing policies and programmes related to land degradation and drought.
Parties reaffirmed the continuation of the Science-Policy Interface, established in 2013 to translate scientific evidence into action for policymakers. COP16, in particular, presented evidence that three-quarters of the Earth’s ice-free surface has become drier over the past 30 years. By 2100, 5 billion people are projected to live in drylands.
From Riyadh to Mongolia
Ahead of COP17, which will be held in Mongolia in 2026, parties to the Convention on the Protection of Wildlife Refugees agreed to step up efforts to sustainably manage, restore and conserve rangelands. These ecosystems, which cover half the world’s land surface, are often ignored by the international community. At the same time, they are disappearing faster than tropical forests.
Grassland degradation threatens one-sixth of the world’s food supplies and could deplete a third of the Earth’s carbon reserves. The approximately two billion people living in pastoral areas are particularly vulnerable to land degradation and drought.