The UAE concludes its participation in "COP16" Emphasizing the importance of international cooperation to stop desertification

RIYADH, December 15 / WAM / The UAE concluded its participation in the activities of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), stressing the importance of strengthening international cooperation to find practical solutions to stop desertification and address drought, with the need to involve all societal groups and enhance the role of women. In sustainable land management in the world.

The Conference of the Parties (COP16) concluded in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on December 13 and was held under the slogan “Our Land…Our Future” to discuss how to transform land degradation into regeneration.

Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al-Dahhak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who headed the country’s delegation during the conference, confirmed that the UAE, with the support of its wise leadership, provides an inspiring model for work to enhance sustainability in its comprehensive sense within the country and the world through pioneering efforts and initiatives that have contributed to the development of many communities in the country. Many countries.

She said that the Conference of the Parties (COP16) on combating desertification witnessed a new chapter added to the UAE’s achievements in finding solutions to address the drought crisis and stop land degradation in the world by seriously and effectively contributing to global efforts in this field, most importantly strengthening sustainable agricultural and food systems and employing Innovation in finding solutions to the global water crisis through the “Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative” and other solutions.

She added that the presence of the Emirati work teams representing many stakeholders in the country was an example of cooperation and working as one team in order to achieve common goals aimed at finding solutions to national challenges and expanding agricultural and food systems based on innovation, sustainable water management, and achieving the greatest benefit from natural resources. Preserving it from waste, in addition to playing an active role in global efforts in this field.

During his participation in a session entitled “Enhancing the environmental dimension of food systems amid multiple crises in the Arab region,” His Excellency Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, stressed that water scarcity is a major limitation facing the Arab region as it is one of the driest regions in the world. Agricultural requirements place great pressure on limited freshwater resources.

He called for investing in climate-smart land solutions to reduce the effects of climate change and achieve climate resilience in the Arab region, explaining that the basis for the success of these endeavors is cooperation. There is an urgent need for effective participation and coordination between sectors and stakeholders to achieve common goals in Arab countries.

He said that the UAE, during its presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), emphasized the role of agricultural food systems in addressing these challenges. It was keen to place food systems at the heart of the climate action agenda, pointing out that the UAE COP28 Declaration on Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action, which has so far been endorsed by 160 countries, confirms that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement is dependent on addressing the existing interactions between food and agricultural systems and the climate.

He pointed to the national program “Plant the Emirates”, which aims to enable local communities to contribute to achieving food security in the UAE by encouraging participation in agricultural practices, in addition to the “National Agricultural Centre”, which aims to advance research and innovation in the field of agricultural technologies.

In turn, Heba Obaid Al Shehhi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Biodiversity and Aquatic Life Sector, participated in a session entitled “High-level Interactive Ministerial Dialogue on Gender: The Leadership Role of Women in Sustainable Land Management,” and stressed the UAE’s firm commitment to gender equality as part of its efforts to confront the repercussions of change. Climate, especially sustainable land management.

Al Shehhi shed light on the UAE’s important role in empowering women agriculturally through efforts, the most prominent of which was the project to enhance the capabilities of refugees in Uganda, funded by the Sheikha Fatima Fund for Refugee Women, and in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

She added that the call to enhance the role of women in achieving climate resilience and land reclamation is consistent with the UAE’s national strategy. Women play a pivotal role in formulating policies and advancing innovative solutions to combat land degradation and desertification. Al Shehhi also participated in a session entitled “Synergizing Multilateral Environmental Agreements to Strengthen Environmental Governance: Insights from the Third Bern Conference”; She emphasized that climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation represent a link between interconnected environmental crises, and therefore, addressing these challenges requires an equally comprehensive response.

Al Shehhi pointed out that the UAE, in cooperation with Indonesia, launched the “Crimea Alliance for Climate,” which aims to expand the cultivation of mangrove trees globally, in addition to laying the foundation stone for the “Mohamed bin Zayed-Joko Widodo” Center for Mangrove Research in Indonesia.

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