COP-16 Conference | 03 Dec 2024

Recently, the Haryana Environment, Forest, and Wildlife Minister led a delegation from New Delhi to attend the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – COP 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2nd to 13th December 2024.

Platform for Collaboration:
- The event will serve as an effective platform for Green Zone businesses, scientists, financial institutions, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and affected communities.
- It aims to facilitate collaboration and develop sustainable solutions for land restoration and drought management.
International Participation:
- COP-16 will bring together representatives from various countries across the globe.
- The conference is expected to foster global discussions on combating desertification and addressing related challenges.

Established in 1994, it is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
It addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
The Convention’s 197 parties work together to improve the living conditions for people in drylands, to maintain and restore land and soil productivity, and to mitigate the effects of drought.
The UNCCD works with the other two Rio Conventions to address the interlinked challenges of land, climate and biodiversity:
- The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)