Expanse of Drylands Must be a 'Wake-up Call' Warns Saudi Arabia's UNCCD COP16 Presidency

Sustainability Innovation Week launches with new water research center

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Technology and Innovation Day saw delegates at COP16 in Riyadh seek to harness the restorative potential of innovation in combatting land degradation, desertification and drought. An action-packed agenda included an array of discussions and events, with subject-matters ranging from the use of increased satellite coverage for monitoring land degradation, to the role of start-ups in accelerating land restoration and drought resilience.

Sustainability Innovation Week also kicked off in the Green Zone, as part of the Riyadh Action Agenda, bringing together start-ups, innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs to accelerate the global adoption of sustainable technology. Already, it has resulted in the launch of the International Water Research Center, a partnership initiative between Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, KAUST, the center seeks to redefine approaches to water sustainability.

During an awards ceremony presided over by COP16 President and Saudi Arabia Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, a research and innovation partnership between Saudi Arabia's National Livestock and Fisheries Development Programme, KAUST and Estifamah was announced. The partnership will seek to accelerate research on enhancing soil quality. A further four innovation projects were announced, as part of a research program worth over $25 million between MEWA, KAUST and Saudi Arabia's National Center for Palms and Dates. It aims to drive innovation in the date and palm industry, securing long-term agricultural and economic sustainability.

A number of high-level dialogues also took place throughout the eighth day of COP16 in Riyadh. A high-level interactive dialogue on healing land through science and Earth intelligence, focused on scaling up science and data to restore land. In opening remarks, Dr. Munir M. Eldesouki, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Acting President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, said: "We stand at a critical crossroads, facing profound environmental challenges, but equipped with unprecedented opportunities for change. Science and technology are not merely instruments, they are our foremost allies in securing a sustainable future."

Meanwhile, an open UNCCD dialogue session heard from civil society organizations on how to translate science and data into policy and action, enhancing partnerships between key environmental stakeholders, including policymakers, scientists and impacted communities.

On Monday, the UNCCD released a report on the expansion of drylands around the world. Including hyper-arid, arid and semi-arid lands, the study found over three-quarters of all land on Earth experienced a drier climate in the three decades leading up to 2020, when compared to the previous 30 years. It also found the number of people living in drylands has more than doubled to 2.3 billion in 2020, compared to 1.2 billion 30 years earlier.

"The expanse of drylands is a worrying global trend, this report by the UNCCD must serve as a wake-up call for the international community to deliver robust and lasting action on land degradation, desertification, and drought," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency.

"Innovation is a huge enabler and can help drive efficiencies that reduce the strain on essential resources, from cutting water and energy consumption to preserving food security. It is essential to increase access to science, technology and innovation around the world," added Dr Faqeeha.

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.