BRICS leaders call for urgent action on land degradation ahead of COP in Riyadh

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Riyadh: BRICS leaders have issued a joint statement calling for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification and drought ahead of a major UN environment conference in Saudi Arabia in December.

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates emphasised that these environmental challenges "are posing serious threats to the well-being and livelihoods of people and the environment." While acknowledging ongoing efforts in sustainable land management, they stressed the need for "integrated policies" to tackle these interconnected issues.

The statement comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the sixteenth session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh from December 2-13, amid growing global concern over land degradation that already affects 40 percent of the planet and impacts 3.2 billion people, according to UNCCD data.

"Saudi Arabia welcomes the BRICS leaders' statement on the critical issue of land degradation as it reflects the increasing urgency to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of degrading land worldwide," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the COP16 Presidency.

He added: "At COP16 in Riyadh, we will work to forge new partnerships that can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience efforts, particularly in vulnerable regions. Land degradation, drought and desertification impact almost every corner on the planet, exacerbating forced migration and worsening global food and water insecurity. It is imperative the international community address the root causes of these issues at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh."

The conference is expected to be the largest UNCCD COP to date and will feature the first-ever Green Zone, creating a dedicated platform for collaboration and innovation, aiming to increase the role of the private sector in land restoration.

It comes as the UNCCD targets the restoration of 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. According to the UNCCD, every dollar invested in land restoration can yield up to $30 in economic returns.