Riyadh (UNA/SPA) - Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and President of the Conference of the Parties to the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COPXNUMX), stressed the importance of enhancing international cooperation to rehabilitate degraded lands, and that the conference represents a major milestone in our joint journey towards reducing land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable development.
This came during his speech today at the opening of the Business for Land Forum, which is a major part of the program of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP XNUMX), where His Excellency highlighted the achievements made by the Kingdom in facing the challenges of drought, food and water security, noting that the Kingdom has adopted in this field a package of advanced strategies over the past decades.
Minister Al-Fadhli pointed to the major challenges that the Kingdom faced in the past, especially providing food and water security in one of the driest regions in the world, stressing that the Kingdom was able to transform these challenges into opportunities by adopting innovative strategies, including developing irrigation systems, applying advanced agricultural technologies, and enhancing sustainable management of water resources. He explained that these efforts resulted in transforming barren lands into productive lands that support food and water security, stimulate social welfare, and create new economic opportunities.
Al-Fadli explained that the Kingdom, during its presidency of this conference, seeks to enhance global efforts to protect and manage lands in a sustainable manner, and that this session will be a starting point for achieving major goals, including the rehabilitation of (1.5) billion hectares of land by 2030, enhancing the alignment of the objectives of the three Rio Conventions, and expanding the scope of partnerships between the public and private sectors, stressing the importance of exploiting the economic opportunities associated with land rehabilitation in a way that achieves food security and enhances the ability to withstand the challenges of drought.
He added that the private sector has a pivotal role in supporting research and innovation and bridging the estimated $1 billion per day financial gap needed to achieve land degradation neutrality goals, noting that holding the Business for Land Forum reflects the commitment to strengthening partnerships between the parties to the agreement and stakeholders in the private sector, while aligning institutional strategies with the sustainable development goals.
Al-Fadli highlighted the pioneering Saudi experience during its presidency of the G2020 meetings in 50, during which it launched the Global Initiative to Reduce Land Degradation and Enhance the Conservation of Terrestrial Habitat, indicating that the initiative brought together the world’s largest economies to address the loss of arable land and biodiversity, as the group leaders’ announcement included the goal of reducing land degradation by (2040)% by XNUMX.
He concluded his speech by calling for teamwork to achieve sustainable land management and rehabilitation, ensuring the well-being of current and future generations, stressing that these joint efforts represent the cornerstone in addressing global environmental challenges.
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