Riyadh Action Agenda Gathers Steam as Land Governance Takes Center Stage at UNCCD COP16

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The role of governance in local, regional and international efforts to tackle land degradation, drought and desertification, dominated discussions during Governance Day at COP16 in Riyadh on Friday. Proceedings featured major events driving action on land degradation, including water scarcity, and desertification, as well as advancing women's land rights and enhancing urban-rural linkages.

It comes amid the launch of the Riyadh Action Agenda, a landmark initiative of Saudia Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency, mobilizing state and non-state actors. It will enhance financing for land restoration and drought resilience and drive measurable progress towards the UNCCD target of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030. The Riyadh Action Agenda further progressed on Governance Day, with a declaration calling for engagement between local and regional governments to develop a roadmap for tackling land degradation, drought and desertification.

Meanwhile, the Mayors Forum, featuring current and former mayors, policymakers and experts, sought to elevate the role of local and regional governments in addressing land degradation, desertification and drought. Participants called for enhanced cooperation and inclusive finance, amongst other key policy areas.

Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya, Turkey and Co-President of the United Cities and Local Governments, said: "Meaningful action requires meaningful resources. I am here, as head of the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments delegation to make a strong Call for Engagement of local and subnational leaders to unite for combating Land Degradation and Drought, through mechanisms that prioritize investments in drought-resilient infrastructure and ecosystem restoration, while also ensuring direct access for all subnational governments, particularly in the Global South,"

Walid Al-Akrish, Deputy for Projects for Riyadh Municipality, Saudi Arabia, gave a keynote address, saying: "We must acknowledge that the challenges we face; population growth, rapid urbanization and unsustainable agricultural practices, have led to alarming rates of land degradation and biodiversity loss."

Urbanization is intensifying the strain on hinterlands, water and food resources, and further accelerating land degradation. The growth of urbanized areas is only forecast to increase, with 68% of the worlds population expected to be residing in urban areas by 2050, according to the UN. Rapid urbanization is forecast to greatly impact surrounding rural areas, especially in developing countries. This trend is set to further heighten the importance of regional and local authorities, in managing resources for growing populations.

Alongside the Mayors Forum, an event on urban-rural linkages explored the governance frameworks and financing tools that can be used to strengthen the connections between rural producers and urban consumers.

"It is imperative we localize decision-making to combat land degradation, desertification and drought, and enhance the synergies between growing urban populations and rural producers," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency.

"The Riyadh Action Agenda is now up and running and already mobilizing a range of key stakeholders to accelerate action on land restoration and drought resilience. It will bring together international state and non-state actors to deliver tangible change for people around the world, during the remainder of COP16, and beyond."

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia launched the Riyadh Action Agenda. It will encourage countries, the private sector, financial institutions, international organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen the convention by either joining existing initiatives that bolster global action on land degradation, desertification and drought, such as the Middles East Green Initiative, Africa Great Wall, Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, or champion new initiatives.

Already, COP16 in Riyadh has secured over $12 billion in funding pledges from major international organizations, amplifying the role of financial institutions and the private sector's role in combating land degradation, desertification and drought, and launched the groundbreaking Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership.

About COP16 Riyadh: 

The UNCCD COP16 conference is taking place from December 2-13, 2024, at Boulevard Riyadh World, Saudi Arabia. The conference, themed Our Land. Our Future, will mark the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD and aims to secure multilateral action on critical issues such as drought resilience, land tenure, and sand and dust storms.   

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