News DeskRiyadh, Saudi Arabia – BRICS leaders have issued a strong call for increased funding and partnerships to tackle land degradation, desertification, and drought. This announcement precedes the upcoming United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh from December 2-13, where leaders and experts will convene to address these escalating environmental challenges.
The joint statement from the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, underscores the urgent need for “integrated policies” to counter these issues. Highlighting the severe threat that land degradation poses to human well-being and the environment, they advocated for sustainable land management practices and enhanced international cooperation.
With desertification and land degradation affecting 40% of the world’s land and impacting 3.2 billion people, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Environment, Dr. Osama Faqeeha, emphasized the need for collaborative solutions at COP16. “Saudi Arabia welcomes the BRICS leaders’ statement on the critical issue of land degradation as it reflects the increasing urgency to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of degrading land worldwide,” Dr. Faqeeha stated. He outlined the conference’s objectives to “forge new partnerships that can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience efforts, particularly in vulnerable regions.”
The COP16 conference, expected to be the largest UNCCD session to date, will feature the first-ever “Green Zone”—a dedicated platform to foster collaboration and innovation, with a focus on engaging the private sector in land restoration efforts. UNCCD’s ambitious target to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030 is projected to yield significant economic benefits, with estimates suggesting that every dollar invested in restoration could return up to $30 in economic gains.
This year’s COP16 in Riyadh aims to build global momentum in addressing the root causes of land degradation, recognizing its role in exacerbating forced migration and worsening food and water insecurity worldwide. As the conference approaches, the international community looks to the event as a critical juncture in reversing the impacts of land degradation on a global scale.
