LocationsThe sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024.
UNCCD COP16
September 13, 2024
UNDP is supporting efforts to reduce the risks and effects from recurring droughts, floods and erosion in Myanmar's Dry Zone.
UNDP Myanmar
Event Details
02 - 13 December 2024
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Theme: Our Land. Our Future.
Official website: https://www.unccd.int/cop16
UNCCD COP16 is expected to be the largest and most inclusive meeting of UNCCD’s 197 Parties to date — a landmark event to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land restoration and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.
At UNCCD COP16, countries are expected to decide on collective actions to:
- Accelerate restoration of degraded land between now and 2030;
- Boost drought preparedness, response and resilience;
- Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions;
- Boost resilience to escalating sand and dust storms;
- Scale up nature-positive food production;
- Strengthen women’s land rights to advance land restoration; and
- Promote youth engagement, including decent land-based jobs for youth.
UNDP at UNCCD COP16
UNDP supports countries to achieve human development on a thriving planet. Planetary crises — climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation — are grave threats to sustainable development and global stability. At the same time, the transition to a nature-positive, climate-resilient, and regenerative future is a significant development opportunity for humanity — strengthening livelihoods, equity, and development outcomes.
Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate instability and are in many ways different facets of a larger crisis, and the solutions are therefore deeply interconnected. Protecting and restoring land, biodiversity and ecosystems enhances ecosystem resilience, which in turn supports climate regulation and the absorption of greenhouse gases.
Responsible governance of land will be key to protecting healthy and productive land and recuperating biodiverse, carbon-rich ecosystems to avoid dangerous tipping points. Land use sectors such as agriculture must be transformed to become sustainable, regenerative and nature positive. Making our food systems sustainable and resilient would be a significant contribution to the success of the global land, biodiversity, and climate agendas.
Aligning our global goals and targets is also important. The integration of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Targets, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is vital for meeting the 1.5°C goal outlined in the Paris Agreement, for meeting the climate-linked goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and for achieving a land-degradation-neutral world as encapsulated in SDG 15.3. By aligning LDN targets, NBSAPs and NDCs, we can leverage nature-based solutions to regenerate land, protect ecosystems, reduce emissions, and ensure sustainable livelihoods to help meet the Sustainable Development Goals. An integrated approach to advancing the Rio Convention target helps us support countries to stay on track to limit global warming and halt and reverse nature loss and accelerates the transition to a nature-positive future on a thriving planet.
UNDP’s position is that the transition to a nature-positive, climate-resilient, and regenerative future is a significant development opportunity for humanity — strengthening livelihoods, equity, and development outcomes.
