The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) closes a year 2024 rich in international negotiations, with the 29th COP of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 16th COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This year marks 30 years since the adoption of the Convention and the theme “Our lands. Our future ».
As such, Saudi Arabia, the host country, has a strong ambition for this COP both in terms of the number of participants with 20,000 participants expected, i.e. twice as many participants as in Abidjan, as well as in terms of the content and the desire to duplicate what is being done at the Climate COP with a zone dedicated to civil society.
“This COP aims to accelerate the rehabilitation of degraded lands by 2030. Two new decisions are highly anticipated: one on drought resilience and the other concerns the integration of the issue of food systems into the fight against land degradation »explains Jean-Daniel Cesaro, geographer at CIRAD, who will be present at this COP.
CIRAD is advocating with the French Scientific Committee on Desertification (CSFD) for better coordination between governance and knowledge sharing systems on the issues of land management, biodiversity, climate and food and water security, at various levels. international, national and local.
“We will present innovative solutions to restore degraded lands and support local communities. Among them, agroecology and pastoralism are key to combating desertification exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Our goal is to promote these sustainable land management practices to achieve land degradation neutrality”specifies Jean-Daniel Cesaro.
The main themes covered will concern:
• l’agroecology to combat drought in arid areas,
• pastoral development programs for community restoration of pastures (Nouakchott declaration+10)
• equity in the initiative of the Great Green Wall,
• THE sustainable business models for food production and value chains,
• THE inclusive digital technologies for farmers
Several key interventions will take place during Food Systems Day, December 5, and People Day, December 7.
2026, International Year of Pastoralism and Rangelands (IYRP26)
As a member of the team of friends of the International Year of Pastoralism and Pastures (IYRP26), CIRAD will also participate in awareness-raising activities aimed at negotiators with the “GLO rangelands report” to which CIRAD contributed .
This mobilization is taking place in the run-up to COP17 which will be held in 2026 in Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar and will constitute a key IYRP event to advocate public and private support for pastoral systems around the world.
Related News :