RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has set up a “joint operation room” to streamline efforts among teams to host the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in December.
Located at the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, the room will coordinate team activities and monitor progress before, during, and after the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP16, which will be held in Riyadh from Dec. 2 to 13, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Osama Faqiha, undersecretary for environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, inaugurated the control center at the headquarters of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification.
The operation room is designed to improve coordination and communication among teams, ensure the smooth execution of the conference, and enhance the overall quality of work and outputs. This aligns with COP16’s goal of mobilizing global stakeholders to combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management practices.
The conference, the first of its kind in the Middle East and the largest multilateral event hosted by Saudi Arabia with 196 participating countries, will address the significant issue of land degradation.
According to UNCCD data, up to 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded, impacting half of humanity and causing severe climate, biodiversity, and livelihood issues.
If current trends persist, restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 will be crucial to achieving a land-degradation-neutral world.
Droughts have become more frequent and severe globally, increasing by 29 percent since 2000 due to climate change and land management practices, it added.
Currently, 25 percent of the global population is affected by droughts, and three out of four people are projected to face water scarcity by 2050.
The two-week event will feature a high-level segment and include associated events such as the Gender Caucus and the Business for Land Forum.
It will highlight ongoing efforts in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and beyond toward a green transition through sustainable land stewardship.
UNCCD serves as a key platform where governments, businesses, and civil society discuss land-related challenges and work towards sustainable solutions.
It is one of the three main treaties of the Rio Conventions, along with those on climate change and biodiversity.
