Global action for land and people: Outcomes of the negotiations of UNCCD COP16

Last Friday, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after two weeks of negotiation, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) ended after discussions to accelerate global land restoration and drought resilience as a goal that concerts all countries.

UNCCD estimates that at least USD 2.6 trillion in total investments are needed by 2030 to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought. This equals USD 1 billion in daily investments between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought.

Significant progress was achieved at this COP on key issues, including land tenure, gender, and the establishment of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities to ensure their unique circumstances and perspectives are represented. Another major outcome was the continuation of the science-policy interface to enhance science-based decision-making and two new decisions addressing emerging issues were adopted.

However, discussions on drought faced challenges. The substantial part of the decision was deferred to the next COP in Mongolia due to a lack of consensus on the future global drought regime. The division centered on whether to establish a new legally binding Drought Protocol with economic commitments or to adopt a broader framework instrument.

Key decisions on emerging issues
In the 16th session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST) a new decision presented by United States called “Avoiding, Reducing, and Reversing Land and Soil Degradation in Agricultural Lands” was approved.

This decision is pivotal in the work of the UNCCD as unsustainable agricultural practices remain a major driver of land degradation, leading to soil depletion, reduced local biodiversity, and exacerbated climate change through the loss of carbon sinks and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The decision underscores that sustainable, resilient, and economically viable agriculture and food systems rely on healthy soils, diverse and nutritious local crops, and biodiversity-friendly farming practices.

As one major obstacle to scaling innovations in agrifood systems is inadequate financing, we welcome in the decision the call for investment in innovative, science-based sustainable solutions and partnerships, alongside the promotion of nature-based and ecosystem-based approach.

The second decision involving a new emerging issue focus on Grasslands and Rangelands, and marks a major step forward in recognizing the urgency of restoring the world’s rangelands. For too long, these ecosystems have received far less attention, investment, and advocacy compared to others. However, rangelands provide vital ecosystem goods and services, such as soil and water conservation, which are critical for the livelihoods, resilience, and cultural identity of millions of pastoralists and rangeland communities. Additionally, they contribute to global benefits, including biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Globally, rangelands support the food security and livelihoods of up to two billion people.

Despite this, they are included in only 10% of national climate plans under the Paris Agreement. The decision calls on countries to prioritize policies and investments for the sustainable management of rangelands, recognizing their essential role in addressing food insecurity, desertification, land degradation and drought, biodiversity loss, and climate change. It further encourages strengthening public–private partnerships to implement transformative projects and programs that engage stakeholders and ongoing initiatives, ensuring the health of rangelands and the resilience of pastoralist communities.

Decisions of the Committee of the Whole
Regarding the decision on land tenure, parties were invited to integrate land tenure into their plans and activities to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought. The decision emphasizes the importance of proactively collecting data on legitimate land tenure rights in priority areas for voluntary land degradation neutrality. Parties were also encouraged to consider nominating a focal point for land tenure to coordinate its integration into national plans and activities.

The Gender decision recognizes that the active involvement of women and girls in land management is crucial for addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought, as well as achieving land degradation neutrality. It further requests the secretariat to continue collaborating with other Rio Conventions and relevant international organizations, such as UN Women, to support the implementation of the Gender Action Plan and its Roadmap. This collaboration focuses on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment by addressing critical issues, including access to resources, capacity-building, technologies for sustainable land management, and promoting women’s economic empowerment.

In the decision on Promotion and Strengthening of Relationships with Other Relevant Conventions, International Organizations, Institutions, and Agencies, the importance of raising awareness about the critical role of protecting and restoring soil in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss is emphasized. The decision further invites parties to prioritize holistic and integrated actions to tackle desertification, land degradation, and drought, while addressing their interlinkages with climate change and biodiversity loss. This includes accelerating and scaling up the implementation of nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, as well as exploring opportunities to foster cooperation among the national focal points of the Rio Conventions.

Financial pledges drive action against land degradation and drought
During the 12 days of negotiations at COP16, significant financial pledges were announced to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought, particularly in the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Under the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, launched during the summit, over $12 billion was pledged to address land degradation and drought across 80 vulnerable countries.

The Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative aimed at restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land, received renewed support. The Italian Government pledged €11 million for landscape restoration in the Sahel region, while the Austrian Government contributed €3.6 million to enhance coordination and implementation across 22 African countries.

Saudi Arabia also stepped up its climate and environmental efforts through the Saudi Green Initiative, announcing five new projects valued at $60 million.

Additionally, the United States, alongside several partner countries and organizations, pledged US$70 million to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS). This initiative seeks to build resilient food systems by promoting diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils.

Looking ahead to COP17
While COP16 has concluded, the road to COP17 in Mongolia will require continued discussions to build consensus on the future global drought regime and the next Strategic Framework of the UNCCD, following the current 2018–2030 Strategic Framework.

At both national and regional levels, the focus now shifts to implementing the commitments made at COP16. This includes fostering long-term financing and delivering concrete solutions to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought, particularly in the most vulnerable countries.