Cop16 gives indigenous communities a louder voice

Global drought regime to be completed at Cop17 in Mongolia after Riyadh summit closes without firm conclusion

Delegates take pictures outside the conference center where the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD COP16, was opened in the Saudi capital Riyadh on December 2. AFP

Talks at a critical UN summit to tackle desertification went into overtime as negotiators pushed to gain a conclusion from governments on tackling drought.

Nations made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime. However, the conference closed without a firm conclusion. That is expected to be achieved at the next United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) gathering in Mongolia in 2026.

The nearly 200 countries that attended the two-week UNCCD Cop16 summit committed to prioritise land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international co-operation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation. The summit in Riyadh was the first UNCCD summit to be held in the Middle East.

In his closing remarks, the Cop16 President, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, said the meeting marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience.

“Over 30 decisions were issued on key topics through the negotiation process, including migration, dust storms, enhancing the role of science, research and innovation, and empowering women to tackle environmental challenges. The decisions also introduced new topics to the agenda, namely rangelands and environmentally sustainable agrifood systems,” said Mr Alfadley.

According to the UN, droughts are responsible for 60 per cent of all deaths caused by extreme weather events, even though droughts represent only 15 per cent of natural disasters.

Over the course of the summit, the host Saudi Arabia announced five projects valued at $60 million to ramp up climate and environmental efforts as part of the Saudi Green Initiative.

The UNCCD Cop16 Presidency also launched a global initiative to monitor sand and dust storms. This initiative, part of a regional early-warning system, is designed to enhance work managed by the World Meteorological Organisation.

Greater voice for indigenous peoples

Among the main agreements reached at Cop16 were the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities.

The Sacred Lands declaration, presented at the inaugural Indigenous Peoples’ Forum, called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance.

“Today, history has been made,” said Indigenous People representative Oliver Tester from Australia. “We look forward to championing our commitment to protect Mother Earth through a dedicated caucus, and leave this space trusting that our voices be heard.”

Financing the funding gap

Over the two-week summit, more than $12 billion was pledged to tackle the issue of land degradation.

The bulk of the funds were injected by the Arab Co-ordination Group, a strategic alliance of 10 development finance institutions, which committed $10 billion to combat land degradation, desertification and drought.

The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership was launched on the first day of the summit, and received an initial commitment of $2 billion from the Opec Fund and Islamic Development Bank, alongside $150 million provided by Saudi Arabia to kick-start the initiative. The partnership will operate alongside the UNCCD and other stakeholders to support countries most vulnerable to drought.

Still, a significant finance gap remains. During Cop16, participants heard that at least $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.

Why does desertification matter?

A UN report released at the summit showed that more than three quarters of the Earth has become irreversibly drier over the past three decades. Regions most affected include much of Europe, parts of the western United States, Brazil, areas of Asia, and central Africa.

The report also indicates that, by the end of the century, up to five billion people could live in drylands, facing challenges such as soil degradation, reduced water availability, and the collapse or decline of once-thriving ecosystems.