Saudi Arabia Announces Historic UNCCD Green Zone and Thematic Days to Accelerate Action on Land Degradation

For the first time in its history, a UNCCD COP will include a green zone and thematic days, as part of Saudi Arabia’s incoming UNCCD COP16 Presidency. The landmark program comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to galvanize global action to combat land degradation, drought and desertification.

The Green Zone will help raise global awareness around land degradation, and enable key decision makers from the scientific, NGO, political, business, and at-risk communities, to find, and fund, lasting solutions. Thematic days in both the Green and Blue zones will help to rally action on key issues, including agri-food systems and finance.

“Land degradation, desertification and drought impact almost every corner of the planet, and every living being on it, from the species at risk of extinction to the lives and livelihoods impacted by severe drought,” said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency.

“Saudi Arabia will host the first ever UNCCD COP16 Green Zone to mobilize the international community and maximize the opportunity during December’s conference of delivering lasting global change. Whether you wish to attend as a visitor to engage in critical conversations surrounding land restoration, or an exhibitor to showcase important innovation, I encourage people to register and be part of the solution.”

The Green Zone and Blue Zone will feature a total of seven thematic days, selected to deliver action and dialogue between key stakeholders. Land Day will showcase land restoration initiatives, alongside nature-based solutions. The Business for Land Forum will convene global leaders to discuss the economic imperative of sustainable land practices.

Finance Day will address how to close the financing gap in tackling land degradation, alongside a special ministerial dialogue, and showcase innovation surrounding Sustainable Land Management financing. This will aim to overcome a pressing global issue, the UN Environment Programme estimates $7trillion is invested globally each year in activities that have a direct negative impact on nature from both public and private sector sources – equivalent to roughly 7 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product.

Meanwhile, Governance Day will address how to improve women’s land rights, alongside a host of pressing policy issues surrounding land tenure and resource governance.

The critical issues of food security, crop resilience and sustainable farming will be the focus of Agri-Food Systems Day, whilst Resilience Day will tackle water scarcity, drought resilience, and early warning systems for sand and dust storms.

People’s Day will feature a youth caucus to address the engagement of young people, a critical issue given the UNCCD estimates one billion people under the age of 25 live in regions directly dependent on land and natural resources for jobs and livelihoods. The event will also include a gender caucus and highlight the need to increase the role of at-risk groups. The role of science in both restoring land and preventing further degradation will be critical over the coming years, and Science Technology and Innovation Day will seek to nurture long-term solutions, ensure synergies with climate and biodiversity fields, and address the research and funding gaps.