Saudi Arabia is holding the “One Water Summit” in Riyadh at a time when the world’s 3 billion population suffers from problems caused by land degradation. According to experts, this summit is a chance for countries in the region, including Pakistan, to showcase their issues concerning land degradation, climate change, and agriculture.
The conference on desertification, backed by the UN, was held in Riyadh, which states that land degradation causes the flight of people from their areas, increases instability, and worsens the insecurity felt among communities. The UN stated that 40 percent of the total world’s land is degraded, resulting in significant consequences for the climate, biodiversity, and the well-being of people.
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Droughts, one of the key issues at COP16, are seeing an increase of 29 since the year 2000 due to climate change and poor land management, as they become drier and more frequent. This week, in a video address to this congress in Riyadh, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged delegates to concentrate on strengthening international cooperation, ramping up restoration efforts, and mass mobilizing finance.
She emphasized the need for significant financing efforts, noting that cumulative investments must reach $2.6 trillion by 2030, which is comparable to what the world spends on defense in 2023.