The 16th session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) began on December 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conference, which will run until December 13, focuses on land degradation, drought, and desertification, with a rich program of multilateral activities. Azerbaijan is represented by Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev.
Discussions will address key issues related to land degradation and drought, along with the announcement of new initiatives. Saudi Arabia's Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Abdulrahman AlFadley, emphasized the country's commitment to environmental protection at national, regional, and global levels. Over 100 million hectares of land are degraded each year, impacting the lives of over 3 billion people worldwide.
A key initiative, the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, will be launched to accelerate international efforts to address the global drought crisis. The conference will also include a high-level “One Water” summit on December 3 to improve global water resource management.
Additionally, the Saudi Green Initiative Forum and the second Forum for Afforestation Technologies will take place in the coming days.
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