Global response to drought takes center stage at UN land conference in Riyadh

Negotiations on a global drought regime are set to dominate the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) as 197 Parties gather to address one of the world’s deadliest and costliest disasters. The conference opened on Monday 2 December 2024 with major political and financial commitments to strengthen drought resilience worldwide.

Drought, intensified by climate change and unsustainable land practices, has surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people, with the poorest nations bearing the brunt.

In his opening remarks, Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, said: “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.”

In a video message to delegates at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed emphasized the growing challenges posed by land degradation and drought: “Never before have so many people been affected by land degradation and drought. 40 per cent of fertile land is now degraded. And the results are dire: rising inequalities, people hungry, people displaced. Livelihoods and businesses threatened, environments destroyed, and the foundation of peace, stability and security rocked. On the basis of current trends, by 2050, three in four people, will be affected by drought worldwide. But you are in Riyadh to turn the tide.”

Newly elected COP16 President Abdulrahman Alfadley, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, echoed these concerns, noting that degraded land already affects three billion people globally and will “increase levels of migration, stability, and insecurity among many communities.”

COP16 will focus on establishing the first global regime for drought resilience, addressing the systemic risks of drought highlighted in multiple articles of the UNCCD and decisions from the past seven COPs.

Governments are expected to negotiate commitments to enhance resilience at all levels, building on recommendations from the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought established at COP15.

Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership Secures $2.15 Billion in Commitments

The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, announced today by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as UNCCD COP16 host, will leverage public and private finance to support 80 of the most vulnerable and drought-hit countries around the world.

An initial US $2.15 billion have been pledged towards the Riyadh Partnership by 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).  The Arab Coordination Group, which encompasses 10 institutions headquartered in five countries, is expected announce its pledge on day two of COP16.

“The Riyadh Drought Resilience Partnership will serve as a global facilitator for drought resilience, promoting the shift from reactive relief response to proactive preparedness. We also seek to amplify global resources to save lives and livelihoods around the world,” said Dr Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudia Arabia and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency.

The Partnership will work to source additional funding through voluntary contributions by countries, financial institutions, and philanthropic organizations, among others. The financial and in-kind contributions help least developed countries (LDCs) and lower middle-income countries to unlock access to additional financing through blended financing such as concessional loans, commercial loans, equity participation, savings, insurance and other financial schemes.

State Secretary of Environment of Spain Hugo Morán, said: “For Spain and Senegal, the co-chairs the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), promoting international cooperation is a key priority. We are working very hard to mobilize political momentum and resources for drought resilience all over the world. However, much remains to be done. This is why we welcome the Riyadh Partnership and its potential to mobilize additional resources for drought resilience with a focus on the least developed countries and the lower middle-income countries. We look forward to collaborating with Saudi Arabia and the UNCCD Secretariat to leverage synergies between IDRA and this new partnership.”

A major focus of COP16 will be negotiations on a future global regime on drought resilience, the first of its kind. Multiple articles of the Convention text refer to drought and the last seven UNCCD COPs also have decisions related to drought.

The Drought Resilience + 10 Conference, held in Geneva from 30 September to 2 October 2024, concluded that “the increasingly systemic nature of drought requires new approaches, policy instruments and the operationalization of national drought plans along the lines of proactive and integrated drought management.”

It is expected that the negotiations among governments, culminating at UNCCD COP16, will result in robust commitments to strengthen community, national and international resilience to anticipate, respond to and recover from the impacts of impending or ongoing droughts, building on the policy options presented by the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought established at COP 15.

“After 30 years of deliberations, including six consecutive years of intergovernmental working groups, all eyes are on us. This is a lot of pressure, but we must seize this pivotal moment in Riyadh. Together, we can reverse the trends of land degradation and build a more resilient world to drought,” said UNCCD’s Thiaw.

Amid escalating global drought crises, the UNCCD, in collaboration with the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) and partners, launched the World Drought Atlas, highlighting the systemic risks of drought across critical sectors like energy, agriculture, river transport and trade, using maps, infographics and case studies to showcase its cascading impacts on inequality, conflict and public health.

In addition, the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) introduced the prototype International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO) — an AI-powered global platform designed to empower diverse stakeholders, from policymakers to communities, with actionable insights for building drought resilience. The full version of IDRO will debut at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia in 2026, marking a shift towards proactive drought management worldwide.

Anna Dyson, Founding Director of Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture, explained: “Although a wealth of knowledge is emerging on drought resilience globally, it tends to be scattered and difficult to access. The Observatory will enable quick access to diverse expertise and tools needed to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to drought challenges. Connecting insights with powerful analytics, it delivers timely, actionable information while addressing critical gaps in risk and adaptive strategies.