What happened at the third COP of the year...and where do we go from here?

Healthy land and soils are vital for people, the climate and biodiversity. Yet, nearly half of the world’s land is degrading at record speed – already affecting half of humanity.

The stakes are high – by 2030, 700 million people could be displaced due to drought, and soon enough, as many as three in every four people could face water shortages. 

Approximately 20,000 participants at the Green and Blue Zones of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) sent a clear message: we can spare no time or effort.

By 2030 we must conserve and restore 1.5 billion hectares of land, boost drought and water resilience; promote sustainable and regenerative agri-food systems – and mobilise an additional US$2.1 trillion, on top of almost US$500 billion already disbursed, from the global investment needed. And we must start now.

Government commitments, combined with the commitments and action from businesses, farmers, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, grassroots organisations, cities, financial institutions, investors, research bodies and civil society will be key to implement, scale and speed up practical solutions that make social, environmental and economic sense for the benefit of people and life on our planet. 

So what progress was made – and what can we look forward to?

Read on for a recap of the top legacies of UNCCD COP16.

The highlights

There were significant achievements on finance mobilisation, private sector engagement, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities inclusion, and enshrining the role of science.

More than US$12 billion pledged 

The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership attracted US$12.5 billion, including:

• US$10 billion pledged by the Arab Coordination Group, to support 80 of the most vulnerable countries' drought resilience efforts, and promote multilateral efforts by sharing best practices, such as Turkey’s desertification plan, Somalia’s adaptive financing for water security, and Uzbekistan’s initiative to establish a regional Loss and Damage Center.

• Additional financing pledged by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the OPEC Fund for International Development, each contributing US$1 billion.

• The Great Green Wall mobilised €11 million from the Italian Government for landscape restoration in the Sahel and €3.6 million from the Austrian Government to strengthen the coordination and implementation of the initiative across 22 African countries.

US$70 million investments towards the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS), by the United States alongside partner countries and organisations, to build resilient food systems based on diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils.

Saudi Arabia announced five projects worth US$60 million as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, as well as the launch of an international sand and dust storm monitoring initiative, part of a regional early warning system, to complement World Meteorological Organization efforts.

A seat at the table for Indigenous Peoples and civil society

The creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities stands as a landmark decision to ensure their unique perspectives and priorities are adequately represented in UNCCD processes.

• The Indigenous Peoples Declaration ‘Sacred Lands’, at the first-ever Indigenous Peoples UNCCD COP dedicated dialogue, called for the recognition of Indigenous People's knowledge systems and positive contributions and their inclusion in global land and drought governance, and land restoration efforts.

• Youth participation was the highest to date at a UNCCD COP, building on the convention’s Youth Engagement Strategy and Action Plan, to promote the role of youth in land and drought negotiations and  action, and provide technical and financial support for youth-led initiatives.

• Countries reinforced the need to pay special attention to all forms of gender discrimination, greatly affecting women and girls, when designing and implementing policy and programmes related to land degradation and drought.

• More than 50 million food producers called on governments and funders to recognise the key role of family farmers, highlighting the role of small-scale family farmers producing a third of the world’s food and being on the front lines of the climate crisis, but receiving just 0.3% of international climate finance to adapt.

The private sector to be mobilised 

The UNCCD Secretariat and the Global Mechanism were mandated to mobilise private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative. Recognising the critical role of the private sector’s advocacy, ESG strategies, and sustainable finance in addressing desertification, land desertification, land degradation and drought challenges. 

• The Business4Land Forum saw the largest ever gathering of private-sector participants at UNNCD COP, saw 400 representatives from across finance, fashion, agri-food, and pharmaceuticals. And the namesake declaration called on leaders and funders to integrate soil and land health strategies, mobilise resources for action, and build momentum on land restoration.

• WBCSD, announced that investments by members of the Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes have now reached over US$6 billion, involving more than 35 participants, in 110 countries, aiming to cover more than 80 commodities and 280 million hectares by 2030.

• Mirova announced its Sustainable Land Fund 2, aiming to double the size of the initial SLF, with €300-400 million by next year, to continue to finance and scale sustainable land use projects.

Strengthening the role of science

The UNCCD’s Science-Policy Interface (SPI)'s mandate and scope will be extended – continuing to play a critical role in translating scientific findings into recommendations for decision-makers.

• The global threat of drying lands: Regional and global aridity trends and future projections, warns that 77.6% of the Earth’s land became permanently drier between 1990-2020, compared to the previous 30-year period (1961-1990). Over the same period, drylands expanded to an area nearly a third larger than India, the world’s 7th largest country – and now cover more than 40% of all land on Earth (excluding Antarctica). 

• Stepping Back from the Precipice, a new report produced under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström at PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in collaboration with UN Convention to Combat Desertification, demonstrates that seven out of nine planetary boundaries are negatively impacted by unsustainable land use, and charts an urgent course correction for how the world grows food and uses land.

• World Drought Atlas launched as the most comprehensive global publication on drought risks and solutions, by the UNCCD and the European Commission Joint Research Centre, acting as an urgent wake-up call for world leaders and citizens.

But there's more to be done on water and drought resilience

While not yet established, the foundations for a legally binding drought protocol have been laid towards this goal at COP17 in Mongolia, 2026.

• The International Drought Resilience Observatory (IDRO), the first AI-powered data platform for proactive drought management by the International Drought Resilience Alliance, provides a single portal where managers can easily analyse and visualise key social and environmental drought resilience indicators – and use them to make practical decisions.

• Establishment of the Global Water Organisation, headquartered in Riyadh, aims to unify global efforts to address water challenges comprehensively. Focus areas include knowledge exchange, innovative technologies, and enhanced research and development.

• Local and Regional Governments United Against Drought and Desertification - Declaration and Call for Engagement presents a joint roadmap between the Local and Regional Governments Constituency and UNCCD, in collaboration with key stakeholders, designed to be policy-oriented and supportive of local action.

• World Bank's Drought Risk and Resilience Assessment (DRRA) Methodology empowers governments to proactively manage drought risk. By applying international best practices, it offers a comprehensive framework to build resilience throughout the entire drought cycle; and enables governments to prioritise actions, optimise resources, and minimise long-term economic losses, breaking the cycle of delayed response and crisis management.

• The Drought Action Catalyst launched to address the severe and ongoing impacts of drought. Focusing on monitoring and early warning systems, vulnerability and impact assessment, and drought preparedness and mitigation, the initiative aims to enhance resilience in vulnerable regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Small Island Developing States.

So what?

As the world's eyes turn to next year's climate COP30 in Brazil, there is a critical need to integrate approaches across the Rio Conventions, emphasising land restoration as a unifying agenda, driving private sector engagement, aligning development goals, and fostering innovative, inclusive, and measurable solutions to accelerate global restoration commitments.

While global goals to safeguard our planet from land degradation, desertification, and the climate and biodiversity crises may seem overwhelming, it is possible to achieve the transformations we seek, if all stakeholder groups pull together through coordinated and systemic approaches that cross and connect critical action areas. 

Waving the flag for collaboration, the Riyadh Action Agenda is a landmark initiative, by the UNCCD COP16 Presidency, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, mobilising ambitious commitments and action from non-state actors in support of government commitments, to conserve and restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 – helping deliver a prosperous future for all.

Learn more and get involved here.

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For a comprehensive analysis of the UNCCD COP16 negotiations, check out the International Institute for Sustainable Development 's Earth Negotiaions Bulletin.