UNITED NATIONS, Dec 02 : Three billion people worldwide are suffering the impact of degraded land which will \u201cincrease levels of migration, stability and insecurity among many communities,\u201d according to the newly-elected President of a UN-backed conference on desertification, drought and land restoration taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Abdulrahman Alfadley, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, was speaking as the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) got underway in the Saudi capital, according to a press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n
The meeting, according to UNCCD, represents a \u201cmoonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Globally up to 40 per cent of the world\u2019s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced.<\/p>\n
This has dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people\u2019s livelihoods, it was pointed out.<\/p>\n
Droughts, which is a priority issue at COP16, are becoming more frequent and severe, increasing by 29 per cent since 2000 due to climate change and unsustainable land management.<\/p>\n
The UN desertification convention was agreed 30 years ago and the organization\u2019s current Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw highlighted the continued importance of restoring land lost to drought and desertification.<\/p>\n
\u201cLand restoration is primarily about nurturing humanity itself,\u2019 he said, adding that the \u201cway we manage our land today will directly determine the future of life on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
He spoke of his personal experience of meeting farmers, mothers, and young people affected by the loss of land. \u201cThe cost of land degradation seeps in every corner of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey see the rising price of groceries, in unexpected energy surcharges, and in the growing strain on their communities,\u201d he said. \u201cLand and soil loss are robbing poor families of nutritious food, and children of a safe future.\u201d<\/p>\n
COP16 provides the opportunity for global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to come together to discuss the latest research and to chart a way forward to a sustainable future of land use.<\/p>\n
Together the world can \u201creverse the trends of land degradation,\u201d Thiaw said, but only if \u201cwe seize this pivotal moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a video address to the conference, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged delegates at COP16 to play their part and \u201cturn the tide,\u201d by focusing on three priorities including strengthening international cooperation.<\/p>\n
She said it was also crucial to \u201cramp up\u201d restoration efforts and work towards \u201cthe mass mobilization of finance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Financing these efforts is going to be challenging, and is unlikely to come from the public sector alone, but according to the UN deputy chief, \u201ccumulative investments must total $2.6 trillion dollars by 2030; That is what the world spent on defence in 2023 alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations attending the conference, Pakistan\u2019s Tahanyat Naeem Satti called for \u201cambitious and inclusive action at COP16,\u201d adding that the \u201cmeaningful participation of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities in decision-making at all levels must be institutionalized.\u201d <\/p>\n
She emphasized that \u201ctheir insights and lived experiences are critical for shaping policies that effectively address land degradation and promote sustainable land management and restoration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The conference is set to last 2 weeks until 13 December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 02 : Three billion people worldwide are suffering the impact of degraded land which will \u201cincrease levels of migration, stability and insecurity among many communities,\u201d according to the newly-elected President of a UN-backed conference on desertification, drought and land restoration taking place […]<\/p>\n
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