The UN estimates that $2.6 trillion is required by 2030 to combat land degradation and desertification globally, driven by climate change and rising food demands. According to Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), there is a need for the private sector to significantly increase its contribution to land restoration funding, given it plays a significant role in land degradation. Currently, the private sector only contributes 6% with the bulk of the money coming from the public sector. The ongoing UN talks in Riyadh aim to enhance drought resilience, secure financing, and toughen legal obligations on land use. Failure to address land degradation, which affects an area larger than Antarctica and grows by 1 million square kilometers annually, risks undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity.
SOURCE: REUTERS
