The world will have to wait two more years to finalize the negotiation of a new framework or legally binding drought protocol to support countries most exposed to chronic water scarcity. But in the meantime, resources and projects are being mobilized to support the most vulnerable countries. Thus ends COP16 Desertification, the third U.N. negotiation in a very intense year for environmental diplomacy.
After COP16 Cali and COP29 Baku, nearly 200 countries worked for two weeks in Riyadh to address the growing crisis related to land degradation, desertification and drought. As the Italian negotiator, Anna Luise, explains to Renewable Matter, "it was the largest and most inclusive UN conference on soil, with more than 20,000 participants," including some 3,500 from civil society, and hosted more than 600 events under the first Action Agenda to engage non-state actors in the work of the Convention. "A really important signal."
Themes, objectives, goals and failures
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) worked hard-the negotiations closed in the early hours of Saturday, Dec. 14-to prioritize land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation. To this end, more than $12 billion has been pledged to address desertification, land degradation and drought worldwide, especially in the most vulnerable countries, through cooperation and development projects.
There was also anticipation in Riyadh – particularly among African countries – for the establishment of a new legally binding Drought Protocol. But hopes were dashed, due to the clash that took place between those, the industrialized countries, who wanted a broad instrument (framework) but ready to be operational and the African countries who demanded for a real protocol with determined (and mandatory) economic commitments, a proposal inadmissible by the United States. "However, the foundations were laid for a future global drought regime, which we would like to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026," explains the Italian negotiator. "Moreover, it should be remembered that this COP has strongly raised awareness of how protecting and restoring soil is also crucial for climate change and biodiversity, and shown how much action can already be taken, involving local communities, indigenous communities, women and young people, but also the private sector, working on issues such as land tenure reform and innovative agricultural practices. Achieving, however, the reinforcement of the scientific knowledge behind every decision."
As with all negotiations, there were numerous topics discussed. Key agreements reached at COP16 Desertification include the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Caucus and a Local Communities Caucus to ensure that their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented; the continuation of the Science-Policy Interface to strengthen science-based decision-making; mobilization of the private sector under the Business4Land initiative, which seeks to engage the private sector in sustainable land and water management, seeking to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, contributing to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), a global commitment to achieve zero land degradation by 2030, and to improve drought resilience.
Finance against desertification
It has been reiterated many times how much economic resources are needed to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build drought resilience strategies: $2.6 trillion in total investment by 2030. So, the $12.15 billion raised through the "Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership" to support 80 of the world's most vulnerable countries in building their drought resilience does not seem to be a shocking achievement. In fact, hardly any announcements were expected, and the $10 billion contribution from the Arab Coordination Group alone certainly brought a gust of optimism to this negotiation.
The Great Green Wall (GGW), an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, has seen the mobilization of 11 million euros by the Italian government for landscape restoration in the Sahel. The project, implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), aims to strengthen and broaden the results achieved with the first phase in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Ghana, now including two new target countries in the African region-Benin and Senegal. The Italian government's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Francesco Corvaro pointed out "the importance of engagement alongside local communities, with a project that stems from listening to the needs and experiences of the populations involved and enhances the results already achieved over the years to create opportunities for sustainable development, adaptation to climate change and widespread income."
The United States and several partner countries and organizations have announced total investments of nearly $70 million to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS). The initiative aims to build resilient food systems based on diverse, nutritious, climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced five new projects worth $60 million to boost climate and environmental efforts under the Saudi Green Initiative. The UNCCD COP16 Chair also announced the launch of an international sand and dust storm monitoring initiative. This effort, part of a regional early warning system, aims to complement existing efforts overseen by the World Meteorological Organization,
The International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), the prototype of which was launched at COP16, will be the first artificial intelligence-driven global platform to help countries assess and improve their ability to cope with more severe droughts. This innovative tool is an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA).
Saudi Arabia, desertification is a business
Water is at the heart of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 project. And Cop16 was certainly an opportunity for the Saudi government to be able to meet with investors and water technology giants who attended the many side events in Riyadh. The Saudi government is currently seeking private investors to support water purification, reuse, and desalination projects at home and abroad, moving substantial resources and forging important alliances, such as the one with France, which was sanctioned during the One Water Summit on December 3, a closed-door event that featured President Emmanuel Macron and throve of diplomats.
In his concluding remarks, COP16 Chairman, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley took advantage of the podium to credit the Saudi kingdom to the roster of virtuous nations. "Hosting this important conference reflects the Kingdom's continued commitment to environmental issues and sustainable development. It reaffirms its dedication to work with all parties to preserve ecosystems, strengthen international cooperation to combat desertification and land degradation, and address drought." Statements that do not, however, reflect the negative role taken within the climate negotiations. A good place to start would be to stop the emissions underlying one of the main drivers of desertification, climate change.
This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano