Saudi Arabia Highlights COP16 Achievements In Addressing Drought And Land Degradation At UN Assembly

Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Mansour Hilal Almushaiti, highlighted Saudi Arabia's active participation in global environmental agreements. He emphasised the Kingdom's efforts to enhance these agreements and foster international collaboration to tackle global environmental issues. His remarks were made during the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, where he served as COP16 President.

Eng. Almushaiti discussed the outcomes of the sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), hosted by Saudi Arabia in December 2024. The conference saw significant international involvement and focused on strengthening cooperation to combat land degradation, which affects over three billion people globally. This degradation impacts water and food security, biodiversity, and societal well-being.

The conference adopted 37 resolutions aimed at advancing the convention’s objectives. These resolutions included measures for preserving agricultural lands sustainably, conserving rangelands due to their environmental and social importance, and promoting joint research and innovation efforts. Additionally, they supported local communities, women, youth, civil society organisations, and financing mechanisms.

Eng. Almushaiti also introduced the Riyadh Action Agenda during the conference. This agenda comprises nearly 40 initiatives designed to mitigate land degradation and drought effects. A key component is the Riyadh Global Drought Preparedness Partnership, which aims to bolster resilience in vulnerable developing countries through proactive drought mitigation strategies.

The vice minister highlighted efforts to engage the private sector in land conservation through the Business for Land initiative. This initiative encourages global businesses to adopt comprehensive goals that support economic growth while preserving land and reducing degradation. It is implemented in collaboration with various stakeholders and the Convention’s Secretariat.

Significant progress was noted in negotiations concerning a drought framework, reaffirming Saudi Arabia's commitment to ongoing regional dialogue on this critical issue. The Kingdom continues to support discussions that advance understanding and action on drought-related challenges.

Enhancing Environmental Strategies

Saudi Arabia is advancing its environmental strategies at national, regional, and international levels through initiatives like the National Environment Strategy, Saudi Green Initiative, and Middle East Green Initiative. These efforts aim to address global challenges effectively while balancing development with environmental protection for sustainable prosperity.

Eng. Almushaiti stressed the importance of integrating multilateral environmental agreements into national frameworks and development plans. He advocated for enhancing knowledge transfer and capacity building for developing nations while improving coordination among agreement secretariats to maximise collective implementation benefits.

The vice minister underscored holistic international cooperation across all multilateral environmental agreements as crucial. He called for appropriate financing mechanisms that ensure sufficient funding access to achieve these agreements' objectives effectively.

In his concluding remarks, Eng. Almushaiti emphasised that integrating these goals into national frameworks will contribute significantly to sustaining the planet’s environment for future generations.

With inputs from SPA