UNDP will launch a new era of global cooperation on drought resilience by scaling up and accelerating land restoration.

The 16th session (COP16) of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. It aims to combat drought and desertification. It should be noted that Uzbekistan hosted the 21st session (CRIC-21) of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on 13-17 November 2023. The issues and opportunities for implementing strategic goals in the field of sustainable land management, increasing resilience to drought, supporting women’s leadership in sustainable agriculture, financing activities aimed at land degradation and its prevention, as well as countering forced migration associated with climate change were considered.

COP16, which will be held in Saudi Arabia, under the slogan: “Our Land. Our Future” will bring together 197 parties (196 countries and the European Union), experts and representatives of civil society. During COP16, decisions are expected to be made on the following issues:

— accelerating the restoration of degraded lands by 2030 and beyond; — strengthening resilience to growing drought and dust storms; — land restoration and increasing natural food production; — ensuring equality to ensure land rights and sustainable management; — creating new economic opportunities, including decent jobs for youth in land management.

The event will include a summit of leading states, where heads of state, entrepreneurs and world leaders will seek solutions to the problems of desertification, land degradation and drought at the global and regional levels. Attention will also be paid to youth issues, gender issues in the fight against various environmental problems, etc.

For reference: Currently, about 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded, directly affecting 3.2 billion people. Since 2000, drought levels have increased by 29 percent, and by 2050, four-thirds of the world’s population could face drought. In addition, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and fertile land are lost every year. 85 percent of people suffering from drought live in developing countries. If the situation continues in the same vein, then by 2030, to achieve a world free of degradation, 1.5 billion hectares of land will need to be restored.

1,000,000,000 (one billion) young people live in developing regions that depend on land and natural resources. This means that it is necessary to engage young people to fulfill global commitments to restore land.

Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan