The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. This landmark event will focus on combating land degradation, restoring degraded lands, and strengthening resilience to droughts, with a spotlight on accelerating global efforts to secure a sustainable future for all.

Each year, 100 million hectares of productive land are lost, threatening food security, livelihoods, and ecosystems. With worsening droughts, growing water scarcity, and the disproportionate impact on women and girls, urgent action is needed. UNCCD COP16 will gather governments, businesses, and civil society to scale up ambition and investment in land restoration, aiming to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.

This session, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, will also be pivotal for advancing the green transition in Saudi Arabia and beyond, fostering global collaboration to meet our shared climate, biodiversity, and sustainability goals. Join us as we work towards a future where land degradation is reversed, economies are revitalized, and communities are empowered.

For more information, visit the official UNCCD website.