Unearthing the three-fold value of restoring land
Photo by: PhotoVoyager- iStock
Did you know that up to 40% of the planet’s land is already degraded...and that as close as 2050, this figure could rise to up to 90%?
Affecting the world’s croplands, drylands, wetlands, forests, and grasslands, this can dramatically jeopardise the livelihoods of nearly half of the world’s population dependent on land for food, fibre, and fuel sources, risking up to 50% of the global GDP and displacing up to 700 million people.
The stakes are far too high to not act now.
To halt and avert current trends, by 2030, we must restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land – and mobilise a remaining US$2.1 trillion of the estimated total US$2.6 trillion global investment needed to support these efforts.
Healthy land plays a fundamental role in supporting biodiversity, regulating the water cycle and carbon sequestration. So, in restoring land, we are contributing to a virtuous circle supporting human sustenance, while also helping tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.
But how do we take on the challenge?
Read on for key announcements from Land Day at UNCDD COP16 in Riyadh.
UNCCD COP16, Riyadh — Land day highlights and momentum
Key announcements of the day
Rio Synergies strengthens: The High-Level Opening between COP presidencies and secretariats of the Rio Conventions highlighted the critical need for integrated approaches across the Conventions, emphasising land restoration as a unifying agenda, driving private sector engagement, aligning development goals, and fostering innovative, inclusive, and measurable solutions to accelerate global restoration commitments toward COP30.
UN decade on Ecosystem Restoration flagships and innovative nature-based solutions: land restoration projects emboldened through the launch of the Mirova SLM2 Fund, which aims to double the size of the initial fund with 300-400 million euros by next year, to continue to finance and scale sustainable land use projects.
Launch of UNCCD Business 4 Land Declaration: calls on leaders and funders to integrate soil and land health strategies, mobilise resources for action, and build momentum on land restoration.
Winner of the Land of Opportunities pitch competition: Young ecopreneur, Maryanne Gichanga, won USD 50,000 prize for her start-up, Agritech Analytics. She also received exclusive participation in the Desert Forum in China, as well as a capacity building support package allowing her to collaborate with the International Trade Centre and a GMA support package.
Strengthening the Role of CSO engagement in LDN Implementation launch: CSOs attending UNCCD COP16 collectively launched the new project, funded by GEF.
Water and Drought Resilience multi-stakeholder dialogues
More than 60 actors including farming groups, indigenous representatives, Rob Cameron (Nestlé), Mateusz Ciasnocha (European Carbon Farmers), Jennifer Morris (The Nature Conservancy), Natasha Santos (Bayer), Imane Aboulfeth (OCP Group) and more, gathered to share their feedback, insights and Expertise at the Riyadh Action Agenda public-private dialogues on Finance, co-hosted with WBCSD.
See the photo album here.
So what?
Supporting the UNCCD COP16 Presidency, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we’re working with hundreds of partners to build the Riyadh Action Agenda: a global platform, mobilising ambitious, voluntary commitments and action from governments and non-state actors, to conserve and restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 – helping deliver a prosperous future for all.
The Riyadh Action Agenda, a platform for all interested actors, partners and initiatives to contribute to the UNCCD goals and objectives, complements formal UNCCD negotiations, and promotes alignment with the UN Conventions on Climate and Biodiversity.
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This blog post was authored by the RAA Delivery team (Ambition Loop) as part of the Lay of the Land LinkedIn newsletter. Liked it?
