UNCCD COP16: a moonshot moment for global land and drought resilience
The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking a historic milestone in the global effort to combat land degradation and drought. Held from December 2-13, 2024, under the theme “Our Land. Our Future”, this event coincides with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD and represents a pivotal moment for driving global action.
Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, captured the gravity of the moment, stating, “We are all gathered here to make COP16 a historic moment. The world expects Parties to adopt a bold decision that can help turn the tide on the most pervasive and the most disruptive environmental disaster: drought.”
The UNCCD is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions alongside climate and biodiversity. This conference brings together 197 Parties — 196 countries and the European Union — to address the devastating impacts of drought, which has surged nearly 30% in frequency and intensity since 2000. This phenomenon threatens agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people, particularly in the poorest nations. As Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed warned, “By 2050, three in four people will be affected by drought worldwide. But you are in Riyadh to turn the tide.”
A landmark initiative: Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership
Saudi Arabia launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, securing an initial commitment of $2.15 billion from contributors, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (US$150 million), the Islamic Development Bank (US$1 billion) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (US$1 billion). Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and president of COP16, Abdulrahman Alfadley, emphasized the urgency, noting that degraded land already affects three billion people globally and exacerbates migration and insecurity.
Drought has surged nearly 30% in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people
The partnership seeks to shift from reactive drought responses to proactive resilience-building, focusing on the most vulnerable nations. Hugo Morán, Spain’s State Secretary of Environment, said: “For Spain and Senegal, the co-chairs the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), promoting international cooperation is a key priority”. He highlighted the potential of the Riyadh Partnership to “mobilize additional resources for drought resilience with a focus on the least developed countries and the lower middle-income countries.”
Tools for resilience: World Drought Atlas and IDRO
To address the systemic risks of drought, the UNCCD and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched the World Drought Atlas, the most comprehensive resource to date on drought risks and solutions, offering maps, infographics, and case studies that highlight how drought impacts various sectors such as agriculture, energy, and trade. By illustrating the systemic and interconnected nature of these risks, the Atlas calls for urgent action from governments, businesses, and communities to rethink and strengthen drought resilience.
The Atlas emphasizes the need for national drought plans, international cooperation, and proactive management strategies. It explores the cascading effects of drought, including its role in exacerbating inequalities, conflicts, and public health crises. Key highlights include the impact of human-made droughts on water supply, agriculture, and ecosystems, as well as the vulnerabilities of marginalized groups such as small-scale farmers. Featuring 21 global case studies, the Atlas showcases lessons learned from past droughts and presents actionable solutions, from early warning systems to land restoration. As drought risks are predicted to affect three out of four people by 2050, the Atlas urges immediate, collaborative action to prevent this growing crisis from destabilizing economies, communities, and ecosystems worldwide.
Leaders from different countries gather for a UNCCD family photo. 2 December 2024. Photo by IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Additionally, the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) unveiled the prototype International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO) — an AI-powered platform designed to equip stakeholders with actionable strategies for proactive drought management.
The full version of IDRO will launch at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia in 2026, advancing global efforts toward proactive drought management. Anna Dyson, Founding Director of Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, emphasized that the Observatory will centralize and streamline access to drought resilience expertise and tools, providing actionable insights through advanced analytics to address gaps in risk assessment and adaptive strategies.
New publications highlight urgent solutions for land and drought resilience
Key publications launched at COP16 in Riyadh provide critical insights and actionable recommendations for addressing land degradation, drought resilience, and sustainable development. These reports underscore the urgent need for global cooperation, investment, and transformative action to secure a sustainable future.
The World Drought Atlas emphasizes the need for national drought plans, international cooperation, and proactive management strategies
The report Economics of Drought: Investing in Nature-Based Solutions for Drought Resilience – Proaction Pays focuses on the economic and environmental benefits of nature-based solutions (NbS). Co-authored by the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative (ELD), the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and UNCCD, the report reveals that drought costs the global economy $307 billion annually and predicts it will affect three-quarters of the global population by 2050. NbS like reforestation, grazing management, and the management, restoration and conservation of watersheds yield a triple dividend: reducing drought impacts, boosting incomes, and providing broader environmental benefits. German Parliamentary Secretary Niels Annen stated, “Every dollar invested in nature-based solutions can generate up to $27 in benefits, making proactive drought management both an ecological and economic opportunity.”
Drought costs the global economy $307 billion annually and will affect three-quarters of the global population by 2050
Another publication, Investing in Land’s Future: Financial Needs Assessment for UNCCD, underscores the financial urgency of land restoration, estimating that $2.6 trillion is needed by 2030 to restore over one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought. The report calls for innovative financing strategies, such as public-private partnerships and green bonds, to close the $278 billion annual funding gap to meet the world’s land restoration and drought resilience goals. Ibrahim Thiaw emphasized, “Every dollar invested in healthy land is a dollar invested in biodiversity, climate, and food security.” It also highlights Africa’s critical needs, where $191 billion is required annually to restore 600 million hectares of degraded land.
Also released at the UNCCD is a new scientific report, Stepping Back from the Precipice: Transforming Land Management to Stay Within Planetary Boundaries, highlighting the interconnected threats posed by deforestation, urbanization, and unsustainable agriculture. Authored under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with the UNCCD, it places land use within the planetary boundaries framework, warning that six of nine critical ecological thresholds have already been breached. The report emphasizes solutions such as regenerative agriculture, equitable governance, and cutting-edge technologies to reverse these trends and protect Earth's stability.
Together, these publications chart a clear path forward, demonstrating the economic, environmental, and societal returns of investing in sustainable land management and drought resilience. They offer a comprehensive roadmap for tackling one of the most pressing global challenges of our time.
Negotiating a global drought regime
Negotiations are underway to establish the first global drought resilience regime. Drawing on 30 years of deliberations, including six consecutive years of intergovernmental working groups, Parties are expected to adopt robust commitments to enhance community and international resilience to drought.
As Thiaw aptly said, “Together, we can reverse the trends of land degradation and build a more resilient world to drought.” COP16 stands as a transformative moment in addressing one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.