Ahead of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a new green zone.
The green zone will make the Kingdom the first country to establish such zone at the COP16, scheduled in Riyadh on December 2-13, 2024. This aligns with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Innovative Green Zone
The green zone will be the largest area to showcase innovative solutions and technological means to reduce land degradation. Hence, it will see the participation of many organizations interested in combating desertification and enhancing land restoration.
Furthermore, the private sector will take part in this initiative by handling various issues and topics through the green zone. These topics include sustainable mining, land restoration, drought, water management, sandstorms, in addition to the roles of regional and international governmental and private sectors.
Moreover, the private sector will participate in other areas of interest, including sustainable textile production, monitoring, reporting, and local initiatives.
Wide Participation
The green zone will cover an area of around 130,000 square meters. It will gather a wide array of companies, experts, scientists, NGOs, and youth from across the world to draw the path for a sustainable future for the planet.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia plans to engage 197 countries. The Kingdom expects the participation of more than 200,000 visitors and 150 organizations.
Land degradation affects about 3 billion people around the world, causing an economic loss that amounts to around $6 trillion, according to estimates from international reports. Additionally, UNCCD’s data indicates that 40% of the world’s land is degraded, impacting half of the world’s population.
Hosting COP16
COP16 is the largest meeting for the UNCCD’s 197 parties. It aims to accelerate action on land restoration, drought resilience and green transition. The event will take place in Riyadh, under the theme “Our Land. Our Future.” It coincides with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD and will be the first UNCCD COP to be held in the MENA region and the largest multilateral conference hosted by Saudi Arabia.
By hosting COP16, the Kingdom aims to foster cooperation among the UNCCD’s 197 parties, deploy resources to come up with efficient solutions to address drought and restore millions of hectares of degraded land.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia aims, through hosting COP16, to support decision-makers and promote the role of the civil society and private sector in protecting the environment and preserving natural resources.
Saudi Green Efforts
Saudi Arabia has launched numerous initiatives to support green transformation and sustainable development, as a key element of its ambitious Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the Kingdom’s reliance of oil revenues and diversify its economy.
On top of these efforts comes the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), launched in 2021. It aims to achieve three main targets: help Saudi Arabia achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, support its green transformation, and protect land and sea. For this purpose, the SGI has launched over 80 sub-initiatives to reduce emissions, enhance afforestation, and protect biodiversity.
The SGI’s ultimate target is to grow 10 billion trees and rehabilitate over 74 million hectares of land. So far, the Kingdom has planted over 49 million trees and rehabilitated 94,000 hectares of degraded lands, in addition to launching more than 40 projects to grow over 600 million trees and rehabilitate 8 million hectares by 2030.
COP16 Preparations
As part of the Kingdom’s preparations to host COP16, Saudi Arabia has led international efforts to combat desertification and address its impacts on economies, societies, and environments worldwide. These efforts included sending a high-level delegation to the 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA), led by the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
The delegation announced the launch of a significant initiative that involves the next three COP conferences on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification. This initiative aims to find comprehensive solutions to foster the outcomes of the agreements signed in this regard.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s efforts include launching the Middle East Green Initiative, which aims to address climate change through strengthening regional cooperation. The initiative has two main goals: increase tree planting and reduce carbon emissions in the region.
Moreover, the Kingdom launched the G20 Global Land Initiative, during its G20 presidency. The initiative aims to prevent, halt and reverse land degradation with an ambition to reduce degraded land by 50% by 2040.