A stark warning has been issued from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: global desertification is accelerating at an alarming rate, threatening billions and reshaping life on Earth. A landmark report released at the summit reveals that an unprecedented 77.6% of the planet’s landmass experienced increasingly arid conditions in the three decades leading up to 2020 – a dramatic increase compared to the preceding 30-year period. This means once-fertile lands are turning into deserts, expanding to an area nearly one-third larger than India, now covering over 40% of the Earth’s landmass (excluding Antarctica).
The report paints a grim picture of the future. Ibrahim Thiaw, the UNCCD chief, warns that these drier climates are permanent shifts, fundamentally altering life on Earth. If global warming continues on its current trajectory, the UNCCD predicts that nearly five billion people will be affected by intensifying desertification by the end of the century. Regions facing significant impacts include most of Europe, parts of the western US, Brazil, eastern Asia, and central Africa.
The scientific basis for this crisis is clear. As explained by Sergio Vicente-Serrano, a lead author of the report, rising atmospheric temperatures from human-caused climate change increase evaporation, reducing water availability for humans, plants, and animals. This is particularly devastating for agriculture, impacting crop yields and livestock, and creating widespread food insecurity. The resulting aridity also fuels mass migration, as erratic rainfall, land degradation, and water shortages hinder economic development.
The Riyadh summit, COP16, is focused on strategies to mitigate the devastating effects of increasingly frequent and severe droughts. However, a key sticking point, as highlighted by Jes Weigelt of the European climate think-tank TMG, is the funding of global drought response measures. Disagreements exist among nations regarding the responsibility of wealthier countries to contribute financially to assist developing nations struggling with drought.
Despite the challenges, there have been some positive developments. Saudi Arabia, the summit host, has pledged $2.15 billion (€2.4 billion) from various sources for drought resilience initiatives. Furthermore, the Arab Coordination Group – a coalition of ten development banks in the Middle East – has committed $10 billion (€9.49 billion) by 2030 to combat land degradation and drought, aiming to support 80 of the world’s most vulnerable countries. These commitments, however, are dwarfed by the estimated $125 billion (€118.7 billion) in global drought-related costs between 2007 and 2017.
Osama Faqeeha, Saudi Arabia’s deputy environment minister, emphasizes the urgency of international cooperation, acknowledging the borderless nature of these crises. While the UNCCD report highlights the possibility of recovery from drought, it also underscores the need for lasting solutions, including curbing climate change – a topic receiving less attention at the Riyadh summit. Saudi Arabia’s reliance on fossil fuels and its past reluctance to commit to emissions reduction targets remain points of criticism.
The UNCCD report advocates for several key strategies, including improved land-use practices, water-efficient farming techniques (like drip irrigation), enhanced monitoring systems for proactive planning, and large-scale reforestation projects. Andrea Toreti, another lead author, stresses the critical need for coordinated international action and unwavering commitment to effectively address this global crisis. The challenge is clear: concerted global effort is required to combat the unrelenting menace of desertification and secure a sustainable future for all.
