RIYADH – Restoring degraded land and preventing desert expansion will require a global investment of $3.5 trillion (US$2.6 trillion) by 2030, the United Nations announced, quantifying the cost of reversing land degradation for the first time.
Speaking ahead of global talks in Riyadh, Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), emphasized the urgency of the situation. Climate change-induced droughts, coupled with rising food demands from a growing population, pose significant risks of social and environmental instability unless immediate action is taken.
The two-week conference in Riyadh aims to enhance drought resilience by setting legal obligations for countries, defining strategic next steps, and mobilizing financing.
Private Sector Investment Key to Success
Thiaw highlighted the need for greater private sector involvement, noting that currently, just 6% of funds for land restoration come from private entities, despite agriculture and food production being major contributors to land degradation.
“The bulk of the investments for land restoration is coming from public money, and that is not sustainable. How can one hand degrade the land while the other hand is tasked with restoring it?” Thiaw said. He also acknowledged governments’ role in enforcing land-use regulations and policies.
With the global population projected to double food production needs on limited land, Thiaw stressed the critical role of private sector financing. Achieving the $2.6 trillion target will require bridging an annual funding gap of $278 billion, with only $66 billion invested globally in 2022.
Widespread Land Degradation Threatens Humanity
A UN-backed study released on Dec 1 revealed that land degradation is “undermining Earth’s capacity to sustain humanity.” Already, 15 million square kilometers of land—an area larger than Antarctica—has been degraded, and this figure grows by 1 million square kilometers annually.
Failure to reverse land degradation would have cascading effects, hindering efforts to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. Agriculture accounts for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of deforestation, and 70% of freshwater use globally.
Ambitious Goals and Challenges
While countries have pledged to protect 900 million hectares of land, Thiaw urged a more ambitious target of 1.5 billion hectares, with accelerated implementation. However, reaching consensus on legally binding commitments remains a challenge, as some nations resist additional obligations.
Thiaw stressed the broader benefits of investing in land restoration: “The resources we are talking about are not charity. This is an investment to ensure global stability and sustainability, not just for vulnerable regions like Africa but for the entire world.”
The Riyadh meeting follows recent UN