Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Post

ARC Ltd.’s Gloria Womitso and Malvern Chirume are attending the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. UNCCD COP16 brings together decision-makers from 197 Parties, including 196 countries and the European Union, to address critical issues of desertification, land degradation, and drought. This year’s event highlights the region’s unique challenges and global strategies under the theme, ‘Our Land. Our Future’. Womitso and Chirume will join attendees to discuss: * Restoring degraded land to enhance agricultural productivity, food security, and ecosystem health.  * Scaling up investments to mitigate the economic and social impact of drought.  * Developing innovative solutions, such as parametric insurance and partnerships with the private sector. COP16 represents a significant opportunity to support sustainable land management and develop mechanisms that reduce the impact of climate-related risks on vulnerable populations. As a leader in disaster risk financing, ARC Ltd. brings specialised knowledge to discussions on drought resilience, focusing on enhancing preparedness and financial mechanisms that empower vulnerable countries to respond effectively to climate-related risks. Coinciding with the UNCCD’s 30th anniversary, COP16 will be one of the largest UN land conferences to date. Find out more in this informal guide: https://lnkd.in/ervHg2-j #UNCCD #COP16 #DisasterRiskInsurance #FinancialResilience #FoodSecurity #Droughts #Deseritification #Degredation #OurLandOurFuture #ClimateChange #ParametricInsurance Eva Grace Kavuma Lindelwe Lesley Ndlovu Malvern C. Ange Nothando Chitate Anaïs SYMENOUH Yusuf Bodiat

🌏 This COP16Riyadh represents a crucial juncture for all of us who genuinely care about the future of our #planet and its communities. The challenges of #desertification and #landdegradation are significant, yet equally significant is our ability to change the current trajectory. ☘ Let's hope this conference yields concrete, sustainable solutions that enhance the #resilience of communities around the #world, rather than mere ideas. UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP16Riyadh #united4land #COP16riyadh #UNCCDCOP16

Healthy and fertile land is one of the global commons that underpin the planet's life support systems and human well-being 🌱 Yet up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, directly impacting 3.2 billion people. That’s why the 16th Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Combat Desertification (#UNCCDCOP16) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is so important. Both Earth Commission Co-Chairs will be present at the summit, and Professor Fatima Denton will be speaking at the following events: - 4 December, 18:00-19:30 (MET), ‘Making Voluntary Carbon Markets Work for Africa’s Sustainable Future’ - 6 December, 17:30-18:30 (MET), Safeguarding Africa’s Carbon Sinks: Local Governance for Sustainable Land Management’ 🔗 See the UNCCD COP16 program: https://lnkd.in/eg3ZmjAR #SafeAndJust #EarthSystemBoundaries

As UNCCD #COP16Riyadh continues in Saudi Arabia, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) Global Alliance is excited to be part of this global conversation. We have eight Science-Based recommendations on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in Rangelands for @unccd COP Member States and other partners to achieve sustainable rangeland management. What are these recommendations? We shall be sharing them throughout COP16, highlighting actions like: • Halting the conversion of rangelands for unsustainable uses. ❌ • Increasing investments in rangeland restoration, including through the LDN Fund. [Learn more: at IYRP LDN Working Paper, March 2024 (https://lnkd.in/eEHmJ6HA)] • Empowering pastoralist communities as key stewards of these critical ecosystems. Join us tomorrow for our side event at 17:00 GMT+3. https://lnkd.in/dfinPjcc #IYRP Fiona Flintan

Advancing #landrestoration and #climateaction for a sustainable future will take center stage at COP16Riyadh, scheduled to take place in our member country #SaudiArabia from December 2-13, 2024. Under the theme “#OurLandOurFuture,” the conference will focus on scaling up global efforts to restore degraded land, combat #desertification and enhance #climateresilience. The #OPECFund will host its own pavilion in the Blue Zone, providing a dedicated platform to highlight its strategic contributions to the #COP16 agenda. Through its operations in sustainable land management, #climateadaptation and #energyaccess, the OPEC Fund continues to support transformative solutions for sustainable development. In addition, the OPEC Fund will join its partners in the joint Arab Coordination Group (ACG) pavilion. Together with nine other national and regional development finance institutions, the #ACG will showcase collective action aimed at advancing the #SDGs. “Saudi Arabia’s leadership in hosting this conference and advancing initiatives such as the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives highlights the importance of collective action. The OPEC Fund is proud to align with these efforts, contributing innovative solutions to protect #ecosystems and improve livelihoods,” said our President Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. For more information about #OPECFundAtCOP16: bit.ly/4eS9HKp #COP16Riyadh

Over $12 billion has been pledged at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) in Riyadh, marking a significant step in the global fight against land degradation, desertification, and drought resilience. These pledges include major contributions from the Arab Coordination Group, the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, and significant backing from key institutions such as the OPEC Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, and Saudi Arabia. Key Highlights: - $10 billion commitment from the Arab Coordination Group for land restoration and drought resilience. - $1 billion each from the OPEC Fund and Islamic Development Bank, with $150 million from Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership. - A call for redirecting Official Development Assistance funds to address land degradation. Despite these impressive pledges, the UNCCD’s financial needs assessment reveals a gap, with an annual requirement of $355 billion from 2025 to 2030, far exceeding projected investments of $77 billion. As COP16 progresses, the urgency is clear: international public and private sector collaboration is needed to close the financing gap and drive impactful change. #COP16 #LandRestoration #DroughtResilience

Land degradation signifies the diminishing ecological productivity of our soils, while desertification is an advanced stage where fertile land is transformed into desert-like conditions. This process is driven by soil erosion, loss of vegetation, adverse impacts of climate change, and unsustainable farming practices. This December, at CoP16 UNCCD in Riyadh, the critical conversation around combating land degradation and desertification takes center stage. While both issues pose significant environmental, economic, and social challenges, addressing them is essential for building resilient, sustainable ecosystems that can support future generations. The UNCCD is crucial in elevating this dialogue globally, and we look to the Rio Conventions for inspiration. They have set an impressive pace, demonstrating that we must listen to youth voices and support their leadership to ensure a just and equitable transition. As young people, we inherit these challenges but also bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a commitment to sustainable change. Our engagement in these discussions is not just about shaping policy but about reshaping the future we want to see. #OurlandOurlegacy #UNCCD_CoP16 WRI Africa World Resources Institute WRI Africa UNCCD Youth Caucus

#Decarbonization of Oil n Gas sector is a challenging yet ambitious task n positive step in right direction for a #carbon #neutral economy. National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) is convincingly leading the national process.

AGN calls for incorporation of means of implementation in the GGA framework   At the Workshop under the United Arab Emirates–Belém work programme on indicators, held in Sham El Sheikh (8-9 October), the African Group has insisted on the need for the work prgramme to consider indicators that assess adequacy of means of implementation (climate finance, capacity building and technology transfer) as a key aspect of the framework. AGN Lead Coordinator for Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), Kulthoum Mutsumi said means of implementation, (including finance, capacity building and technology transfer), is a crucial part of the Global Goal on Adaptation UAE-Belem Indicator work programme. At COP28, a two-year UAE–Belém work programme was launched, on the development of indicators for measuring progress achieved towards the targets outlined in the UAE framework for global climate resilience (GGA framework).  At SB60, Parties provided guidance on the structure and modalities of the work programme, which included a request for the Chairs to organize, with the support of the secretariat, a hybrid workshop for Parties and the technical experts. The workshop aimed at:  •⁠ ⁠Facilitating expert review and refinement of the mapping referred to in paragraph 10 of the conclusions; •⁠ ⁠Enabling a dialogue between Parties and the technical experts and providing an opportunity for the technical experts to clarify the methodologies and assumptions used in refining the mapping; and  •⁠ ⁠Providing Parties with the opportunity to reflect on the outcome of the mapping and on progress in the work on indicators in preparation for CMA 7 GIZ African Union AfricanUnion AGNES Africa PACJA SA UNFCCC UN UNEP-WCMC #ClimateFinance #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateJustice

Why is it necessary for locals to participate in #desertification and #drought preparedness initiatives? [Namely, the importance of civil society voice]. Desertification is a major impediment to sustainable development, compounded by poverty, poor health, a lack of food security, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, forced migration, and decreased resilience to drought and climate change. We use a bottom-up strategy to exchange regional experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean through the Community of Learning and Practice platform; https://lnkd.in/etQqitZz