After two weeks of intense negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the largest and most inclusive UN land conference wrapped up in Riyadh.

The nearly 200 countries convening at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification committed to prioritizing land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy to address the increasing challenges posed by desertification, land degradation and drought and their devastating global impacts on our communities, economies, climate, and ecosystems toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations also made significant progress in the negotiations of a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026.

More than $12 billion were pledged to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.

Among the main agreements reached at COP16 were the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities to ensure that their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented, a continuation of the convention’s Science-Policy Interface to strengthen science-based decision-making, and the mobilization of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative. 

COP16 was the largest and most inclusive UNCCD COP to date: it included not only a blue zone but also a green zone. It attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-state actors in the work of the convention, the Riyadh Action Agenda. 

Parties adopted the Riyadh Political Declaration, showcasing a commitment to enhanced efforts to conserve land and reduce its degradation, build capacities to combat drought, and contribute to the well-being of communities around the world.

In a statement, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said: “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16. We must continue to tackle the climate crisis — it is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation, and resilience. Youth and indigenous peoples must be at the heart of these conversations. Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”

In his closing remarks, COP16 President and Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley said the meeting marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience. 

“This crucial UN conference has succeeded in increasing broad awareness, raising global ambition, and prioritizing action. As the COP16 Presidency, we will continue to enhance our collaboration with a range of key stakeholders, from the private sector to rural farmers and indigenous peoples, all to deliver lasting change. UNCCD COP16 will be remembered as a turning point for our relation with land.”

Addressing COP16 closing plenary, Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said: “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp. The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods, and opportunities of those who depend on it.” 

He further emphasized a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues, highlighting the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, migration, and global stability.

Financial needs and pledges

New pledges for large-scale land restoration and drought preparedness were announced, such as the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which attracted $12.15 billion to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries in building their resilience to drought, including a $10 billion pledge from the Arab Coordination Group.

The Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, also mobilized 11 million euros ($11.5 million) from the Italian government for landscape restoration in the Sahel and 3.6 million euros from the Austrian government to strengthen the coordination and implementation of the initiative across 22 African countries. The drive is part of the GGW Accelerator, a UNCCD-supported effort to achieve a greener, more prosperous Sahel. 

Additionally, the US and several partner countries and organizations announced total investments of nearly $70 million to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils. The initiative looks to build resilient food systems grounded in diverse, nutritious and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils.

The first-ever UNCCD COP in the Middle East and North Africa provided an opportunity to shine a light on the specific challenges facing the region and bring to the fore innovative solutions to land degradation and drought. 

Saudi Arabia announced five new projects to ramp up climate and environmental efforts as part of the Saudi Green Initiative. The COP16 Presidency also announced the launch of an international sand and dust storm monitoring initiative - the International Drought Resilience Observatory - the first global AI-driven platform to help countries assess and enhance their capacity to cope with harsher droughts. This innovative tool is an initiative of the International Drought Resilience Alliance, of which Saudi Arabia recently became a member.

Greater voice for indigenous peoples and other non-state actors

In a landmark decision, parties requested the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities. The objective is to ensure that their unique perspectives and priorities are adequately represented in the work of the convention. The declaration underscored the role of indigenous peoples in sustainable resource management and called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance. 

COP16 also saw the biggest youth participation to date, giving youth a more prominent role in land and drought negotiations and action, and providing technical and financial support for youth-led initiatives. 

Recognizing the private sector’s vital role, currently contributing just 6 percent to land restoration and drought resilience, the parties tasked the UNCCD Secretariat and Global Mechanism with mobilizing private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative. This decision highlights the importance of private sector advocacy, ESG strategies, and sustainable finance in tackling challenges. It comes after the Business4Land Forum, which saw over 400 private sector participants — the largest ever at a UNCCD COP — from industries like finance, fashion, agri-food, and pharmaceuticals.

From Riyadh to Mongolia

For the first time, the UNCCD parties made a decision encouraging the sustainable management, restoration and conservation of rangelands — vast ecosystems used for grazing — ahead of COP17, to be hosted by Mongolia in 2026 during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. These ecosystems cover half of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and are the dominant land use in the world’s drylands, but have long been overlooked and are disappearing faster than rainforests. 

The degradation of rangelands threatens one-sixth of global food supplies, potentially depleting one-third of the Earth’s carbon reserves. Some 2 billion people who live in pastoral areas are among the world’s most vulnerable in the face of desertification, land degradation and drought.