Riyadh, January 31, 2024 – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed a significant agreement, setting the stage for the 16th session of the Convention’s Conference of the Parties (COP16) scheduled to take place in Riyadh from December 2 to 13, 2024.
Saudi Press Agency reports that the Riyadh COP16 is poised to be an unprecedented gathering, hosting representatives from the 197 Parties of the UNCCD.
This conference marks a historic occasion as the first to be held in the Middle East region and stands as the largest multilateral conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, a key environmental treaty forming part of the Rio Conventions alongside climate change and biodiversity.
During the signing ceremony in Riyadh, Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Alfadley, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and President of COP16, expressed the Kingdom’s commitment to environmental protection on national, regional, and international levels.
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Alfadley highlighted Saudi Arabia’s pioneering environmental projects, including the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw underscored the urgency of addressing land degradation, emphasising the alarming rate at which fertile lands are being lost globally.
Thiaw stressed that the Riyadh COP16 should serve as a turning point in global efforts to combat the growing threat of a global drought emergency collectively.
According to UNCCD data, up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, impacting half of humanity and posing severe consequences for climate, biodiversity, and livelihoods. To achieve a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030, the restoration of 1.5 billion hectares of land is imperative.
Droughts, exacerbated by climate change and land mismanagement, are intensifying worldwide, affecting 25% of the global population.
This trend, projected to worsen, could lead to three out of four people facing water scarcity by 2050.
The focal point of the Riyadh COP16 will be to galvanise global efforts from governments, businesses, and communities to accelerate action on land restoration and drought resilience.
The two-week event will feature a high-level segment and associated events such as the Gender Caucus and the Business for Land Forum.
Taking place in the most water-scarce region, severely affected by desertification and land degradation, the Riyadh COP16 aims to spotlight efforts in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and beyond towards a green transition based on sustainable land stewardship.
The conference is anticipated to serve as a crucial platform for fostering environmental dialogue and shaping strategies to address the pressing challenges of land degradation and water scarcity on a global scale.
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