During her speech at the "One Water" summit in the margin of COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), affirmed the crucial role of freshwater ecosystems in addressing global sustainability challenges.
Water Challenge Initiative
Its invitation coincided with the launch of the "Freshwater Challenge" initiative, the largest global initiative for restoring rivers and wetlands, as one of the official water-related outcomes announced at the Conference of the Parties (COP28) hosted by the United Arab Emirates.
In preparation for the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with Senegal, to host the United Nations Water Conference in 2026, Razan Al Mubarak emphasized the importance of enhancing international cooperation to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems globally.
Al Mubarak praised the increasing commitment from the international community to the "Freshwater Challenge" initiative, which aims to restore 300,000 kilometers of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030 in addition to preserving healthy freshwater ecosystems.
She emphasized that this initiative, one of the official water-related outcomes from COP28, is crucial to the global restoration of freshwater ecosystems.
In a related context, Razan Al Mubarak expressed her welcome to Australia and Kazakhstan joining the Freshwater Challenge initiative and encouraged other countries to join.
During the summit, which saw the participation of heads of state and leaders from Saudi Arabia, France, Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Morocco, as well as leaders from major global financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility, Al Mubarak expressed her admiration for the significant commitment shown by the countries so far towards joining and implementing the initiative, which currently includes 50 member countries, in addition to the European Union.
For his part, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, the executive director of the Global Environment Facility, announced during the summit an investment of 5 million US dollars in this initiative, which is expected to accelerate the pace of action by addressing some of the most important needs and challenges identified by the member countries.
He added that this initiative is a key element in achieving the 30x30 goals, which aim to protect 30% of land and 30% of oceans by 2030, within the global biodiversity framework.
Model Projects
He explained that the fund's contribution will support specific model projects and enhance the use of innovative and effective methods, with a focus on engaging with youth, local communities, and indigenous peoples, noting that these efforts will contribute to achieving the initiative's goals.
Along with the contribution from the Global Environment Facility's International Water Program, a wide range of actors, including the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and member states, have already contributed joint funding totaling over 10 million USD.
The Freshwater Challenge Initiative aims, over the coming months, to increase the volume of joint funding and work closely with member states to define the project details. The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or "COP16," which Riyadh hosted, coincided with the "One Water" summit.
The three Rio Agreements, which include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in addition to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, are the subject of this year's third and final conference of the parties.
The United Nations Water Conference, which Senegal and the United Arab Emirates will host in 2026, also precedes this summit.
Emirati Leadership
This historic event confirms the UAE's status and leadership in enhancing partnerships and spearheading innovative solutions for freshwater conservation.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, Conservation International, Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification supported the launch of the Freshwater Challenge initiative at the recent Water Conference in 2023.
This aligns with the UAE's vision for sustainable development and its leadership in enhancing global water security.
Significant Deterioration
Razan Al-Mubarak said that water represents a global challenge, but it is also a local issue. Therefore, it is essential to empower local communities and civil society organizations to better protect freshwater ecosystems.
She pointed out that through effective cooperation with governments and companies that heavily rely on water, we can enhance capacities and provide the necessary resources to restore these vital ecosystems. Wetlands and freshwater systems have suffered significant degradation, with the world losing 87% of its wetlands over the past 300 years.
Healthy freshwater ecosystems, such as wetlands, play a key role in mitigating the impacts of floods and droughts, as well as significantly contributing to addressing interconnected climate and nature crises and promoting sustainable economic development.
Additionally, these systems are considered effective tools for carbon storage, water purification, and storage.
Freshwater Challenge Initiative
During her speech, the President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature highlighted the progress made by some countries within the framework of the Freshwater Challenge initiative.
Liberia has integrated wetlands into its Nationally Determined Contributions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, while Ecuador has established three new water protection areas covering a total of 100,000 hectares, and Cambodia has launched a small grants program to support efforts to restore flood-affected forests.
Al Mubarak emphasized in this context that most of us take water for granted, viewing it merely as a commodity for cooking, bathing, industry, and even waste disposal. However, water holds much more significance; it serves as the basis for life and an essential component of the natural world, necessitating its management and preservation as a crucial ecosystem, rather than merely a resource for use and commerce.
She emphasized the importance of countries around the world joining the initiative and working to include rivers, lakes, wetlands, and peatlands in their national plans and strategies, in accordance with the three Rio Conventions.
