For the first time, the Arab region hosted the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) from December 2 to 13, 2024.
Engineer Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, chaired the meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It is worth mentioning that the "United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification" (UNCCD) was born at the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It was also there that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity were born. Therefore, we collectively refer to these three treaties as the "Rio Conventions."
In 1997, Rome, Italy, hosted the first Conference of the Parties to Combat Desertification. Today, the number of parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification stands at 197, including 196 countries and the European Union.
The main outcomes of COP16
There is a prominent goal in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which aims to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030; we lose about 100 million hectares of land annually, affecting the lives of more than 3 billion people worldwide and causing a loss of over $ 6 trillion.
Therefore, it was necessary for the conference to focus on enhancing adaptation and resilience efforts to combat drought. Indeed, many outcomes emerged, including:
The Riyadh Global Partnership for Resilience Against Drought
On the inaugural day, the conference presidency launched the "Global Riyadh Partnership for Drought Resilience," which aims to achieve a tangible transformation in addressing drought worldwide by enhancing early warning systems, mitigating drought risks, providing necessary funding for drought adaptation, and promoting proactive preparedness.
Saudi Arabia will cover the initiative's expenses for at least 10 years through a permanent office. The purpose of the office is to connect countries at risk of drought and strengthen cooperation among them. The OPEC Fund and the Islamic Development Bank have pledged financial commitments totaling one billion dollars, while Saudi Arabia has committed around $150 million.
Riyadh Work Agenda
The conference presidency launched the "Riyadh Action Agenda" on the fourth day, an initiative that aims to unify various entities' efforts to provide effective and sustainable solutions to land degradation and desertification. This initiative aims to enhance the lives of everyone from farmers to indigenous peoples under the supervision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The initiative also aims to enhance land restoration efforts and support adaptation to combat drought. The initiative also strives to fulfill the objective of the "United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification," which seeks to revitalize 1.5 billion hectares by 2030.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification estimates a 10% decline in crop yields worldwide by 2050 and a 50% decline in the most affected areas, which negatively impacts food security and causes a 30% increase in prices, at a time when the global population is expected to reach around 9.7 billion, meaning a greater need for food and agriculture.
Initiative for monitoring sand and dust storms
On December 11, during the conference events, the COP16 presidency announced the launch of the "Monitoring Sand and Dust Storms" initiative; approximately 2 billion tons of sand and dust enter the atmosphere each year, with 25% resulting from human activities.
This initiative is a component of early warning systems designed to address dust and sandstorms. Saudi Arabia is funding the initiative with approximately $10 million over the next five years.
Financing amounts to approximately $10 billion
The Islamic Development Bank Group announced plans to invest $10 billion by 2030 in projects aimed at restoring global lands and safeguarding them against drought and desertification.
Thus, the conference secured more than $12 billion to support adaptation and resilience efforts against drought and desertification, as well as to restore lands lost to desertification. This is beneficial for all parties; the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification estimates that restoring more than one billion hectares of land could provide up to $1.8 trillion annually.
On the other hand, the financial needs assessment report issued on the second day of the conference indicated that there is a funding gap estimated at around $278 billion to achieve the agreement's goals.
