UN conference COP16 to combat land degradation begins in Riyadh

New Delhi: The 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2 to 13 December 2024.

Under the theme “Our Land. Our Future,” the Conference will host representatives of governments, civil society and leading experts to advance global efforts to combat land degradation, desertification and drought while promoting sustainable land management

The primary goals for this conference also include also to accelerate restoration of degraded land by 2030 , including restoration of soil health and scaling up nature-positive food production.

It also focuses on secure land rights, promotes equity for sustainable land stewardship and ensures that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions.

The last gathering of parties to the convention, in Ivory Coast in 2022, produced a commitment to “accelerating the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030”.

But the UNCCD, which brings together 196 countries and the European Union, now says 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) must be restored by the decade’s end to combat crises including escalating droughts.

UNCCD executive secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said, “COP16 would result in an agreement to accelerate land restoration and develop a “proactive” approach to droughts.We have already lost 40 percent of our land and our soils” said.

“Global security is really at stake, and you see it all over the world. Not only in Africa, not only in the Middle East.”

As per the United Nations, today, up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, affecting half of humanity and with dire consequences for our climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods.

Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, increasing by 29% since 2000 due to climate change and unsustainable land management. If current trends continue, restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 will be necessary to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world.

In a statement, UNCCD, said for the first time, COP16 will introduce a dual approach with a Negotiation Track and an Action Agenda, both interlinked to achieve bold outcomes in formal negotiations and facilitate the implementation of COP decisions.

Negotiation Track focuses on critical COP decisions and political declarations essential for advancing global land and drought resilience.

Action Agenda highlights voluntary commitments and actions on land, resilience and people across the thematic days during COP16.

This year’s meeting in Riyadh marks a milestone: the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside the treaties on climate change and biodiversity.

Established in 1994, it works to protect and restore land while ensuring a safer, just, and more sustainable future.