Global Community

Hi! Join Fundesem's side events at COP 16.

Join us at COP16 to explore how CGIAR’s innovations address critical challenges such as:

Combatting desertification by restoring degraded land and increasing its capacity to absorb carbon emissions.
Enhancing water efficiency to optimize resource use in arid and semi-arid regions.
Supporting food security and climate adaptation through sustainable intensification on existing arable land.
Through these sessions, CGIAR will showcase the power of research, science, and partnerships to build a resilient future, particularly for the communities most vulnerable to climate impacts. This is a vital opportunity to engage with thought leaders, share insights, and explore actionable solutions that can be implemented globally.

The registration link is: https://events.cgiar.org/desertificationcop16?crmid=sliu@unccd.int&hem=…
It seems that only after registration, you can find the detailed programme.

AGROBIOTEK-INGENIERIE will be present at COP 16 in the green zone to present its innovative technologies for drought control and restoration of desert lands. We will also share our projects in Africa, aimed at building food and energy self-sufficiency in the most remote villages.

cross-posted from UNCCD website
https://www.unccd.int/news-stories/stories/agfund-and-unccd-join-forces…

AGFUND and UNCCD join forces to elevate youth leadership ahead of COP16

The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and UNCCD have established a partnership to launch the "Road to Riyadh and the youth: Elevating land and drought issues on the global agenda" initiative to strengthen youth engagement in tackling critical environmental challenges ahead of UNCCD COP16.

Accounting for more than 40 per cent of the global population, the 1.7 billion young people under the age of 25 represent a powerful force for change. As the global environmental crises grow more urgent, youth leadership in driving sustainable solutions is not just evident – it is crucial for securing the future of our planet. Young people are emerging as key advocates in global efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable practices. Through their passion, innovation and drive, youth can play a vital role in shaping the sustainable development agenda and collaborating with key stakeholders, including governments, to address issues, such as land degradation and drought.

In alignment with the UNCCD Youth Engagement Strategy (YES), young leaders will convene in Riyadh from 5 to 7 December 2024 for a Youth Forum, held in parallel with COP16. During this gathering, participants will present recommendations on how young people can play a meaningful role in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality. The conference will also explore opportunities for the creation of green and fulfilling land-based employment, and will identify the challenges that young people are facing due to desertification, land degradation and drought.

As the first-ever UNCCD Conference of the Parties is set to take place in the Middle East and North Africa region this December, the project will work to engage youth in the broader discussions and processes of the Convention. It will also contribute to the continued implementation of the YES strategy to ensure robust youth participation in global environmental efforts.

The project aims to raise awareness of the importance of combating desertification, land degradation and drought, while upscaling youth involvement in UNCCD implementation. A Youth Declaration, embodying their perspectives and solutions, will be presented at COP16 during a high-level event organized on Peoples’ Day, further solidifying youth engagement in global environmental governance. The initiative also supports ongoing efforts to foster active youth participation in achieving broader national and international sustainability goals, such as the Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

This joint initiative of AGFUND and UNCCD underscores a shared vision: positioning young people at the forefront of environmental action. By empowering them as pivotal actors in the fight against desertification, the partnership aims to harness their potential to shape a resilient and sustainable future for generations to come.

About AGFUND

The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) is a regional entity founded in 1980 through the initiative of the late His Royal Highness Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, with the support of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The primary objective of AGFUND is to tackle the fundamental issues related to human development, focusing on all societal segments without discrimination. AGFUND has founded five distinct organizations dedicated to development, which include the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, the Arab Women Center for Training and Research, Financial Inclusion Banks, the Arab Open University, and the Arab Network for NGOs. AGFUND collaborates with over 450 international, regional, and governmental organizations to facilitate and support various development projects.

About UNCCD

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international agreement on good land stewardship. It helps people, communities and countries create wealth, grow economies and secure enough food, clean water and energy by ensuring land users an enabling environment for sustainable land management. Through partnerships, the Convention’s 197 Parties set up robust systems to manage drought promptly and effectively. Good land stewardship based on sound policy and science helps integrate and accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds resilience to climate change and prevents biodiversity loss. 

For more information, please contact:

UNCCD: press@unccd.int | AGFUND: prmedia@agfund.org

Dear members of the Global Community,

I would like to share our study “𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙪𝙢 – 𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙀𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙃𝙮𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙀𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨" by 43 authors from 34 institutions worldwide. Link to the paper: https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/24/3173/2024/

This story started in August 2022 at the 𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆 (𝑫𝒊𝒕𝑨) network workshop in Uppsala, Sweden (see photo). There, we brainstormed about how seeing drought as single event only allows for crisis management. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘂𝗺.

When doing a 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 and collecting 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, we noticed parallels between how drought manifests in the 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, and how drought (impacts) cascade and feedback between these systems.

In many meetings and iterations, we then came up with a 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘂𝗺𝘀 in these systems (see figure). A system can either be fluctuating but stable, it can have a positive trajectory building resilience with every drought event, a negative trajectory with a lack of recovery after drought, or a tipping point response due to a lack of preparedness.

Because of the great collaboration with the DitA group, we have been able to back this up with a very diverse set of literature, showcase these processes happening in real cases and formulate 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

I hope you enjoy reading our study and feel inspired to share your questions, and suggestions, and engage in discussions about it!