Saudi Arabia: UN negotiations end without addressing world’s drought

Without reaching a consensus on how to address drought, the 12-day COP16 conference of parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) came to an end in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The discussions come after a series of unsuccessful climate change negotiations, such as those on biodiversity in Colombia and plastics pollution in South Korea, and a climate financing agreement that let developing nations down at COP29 in Azerbaijan.

The goal of the biennial talks has been to establish robust global climate change mandates that require countries to invest in early warning systems and construct resilient infrastructure in developing nations, especially in Africa.

“Parties need more time to agree on the best way forward”, stated UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw on Saturday.

The European Union and 196 other nations have “made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026”, according to a news release.

In a study released on December 3, the second day of the negotiations in Riyadh, the UN stated that droughts “fueled by human destruction of the environment” cost the globe about $300 billion annually.

According to the report, by 2050, 75% of the world’s population is expected to experience drought.

Between the Global North and South.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an African delegate to COP16 disclosed that African nations had hoped the negotiations would result in a legally enforceable drought agreement.

That would guarantee “every government will be held responsible” for devising stronger preparation and response plans, the delegate said.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Africa so united, with a strong united front, with respect to the drought protocol”.

Two other unnamed COP16 delegates told the agency that wealthy nations were fighting for a “framework”, which African nations believed was insufficient, rather than a legally enforceable convention.

According to Praveena Sridhar, chief technical officer for Save Soil, a global movement supported by UN agencies, indigenous groups were also advocating for a binding protocol.

One of the biggest oil producers in the world, host Saudi Arabia, has previously come under fire for holding up other talks to reduce emissions from fossil fuels.

Saudi Environment Minister Abdulrahman al-Fadley stated during the discussions on Saturday that the kingdom has started a number of projects to combat desertification, which is a significant problem for the nation.

He stated that Saudi Arabia is dedicated “to working with all parties to preserve ecosystems, enhance international cooperation to combat desertification and land degradation, and address drought”.

Prior to the Riyadh negotiations, the UNCCD stated that at least $2.6 trillion in international investments were required to restore 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) of land by the end of the decade.

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