Here's what was agreed at COP16 to combat global desertification

Against the backdrop of a deepening environmental crisis, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) convened in Riyadh in December with a critical mission: to address the escalating threats of land degradation and drought.

With 40% of the world’s agricultural land already damaged and more than three-quarters of land experiencing dryer conditions, the stakes have never been higher. The conference emphasized the urgent need for innovation, investment and collaboration to restore land, safeguard food and water security, tackle climate change and combat biodiversity loss.

The 20,000 delegates at COP16 — three times the number of the previous UNCCD COP — carried a powerful message: restoring land is achievable, but requires scalable and equitable solutions, supported by partnerships across sectors.

As emphasized in a Forum CEO Discussion Brief published for COP16, land sits at the heart of the intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Misuse and unsustainable management of land threaten the supply of critical ecosystem services, deepen food and water insecurity and exacerbate vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Coupled with water scarcity, rising temperatures and population growth, degraded landscapes now endanger the livelihoods of billions across the planet.

Both the challenges and opportunities are significant: a 2011 study found that restoring 150 million hectares of degraded land could yield as much as $85 billion in economic benefits and uplift 200 million people. Yet only 4% of global climate finance targets sectors like agriculture and forestry, even though these areas are pivotal to land restoration. The estimated need? Roughly $300 billion annually to meet 2030 sustainability goals.

During COP16, the more than 400 private sector delegates and other multistakeholder actors identified blended finance, cutting-edge tools and integrated planning frameworks as key solutions. The World Economic Forum’s white paper, Food and Water Systems in the Intelligent Age, served as a key resource, highlighting the interconnectedness of food and water systems in reversing degradation and addressing scarcity.

COP16 underscored the private sector’s pivotal role in reversing degradation. A key highlight was the launch of the Business 4 Land (B4L) Call to Action, which encourages companies to incorporate sustainable practices into their core operations. The World Economic Forum and UNCCD also introduced a tool — the Land Degradation Neutrality: Strategic Intelligence Map — designed to guide businesses in evaluating risks and opportunities related to ecosystems. This resource empowers corporations to align their operations with global land restoration goals, while mitigating supply chain risks and accelerating biodiversity protection.

Prominent examples of corporate leadership emerged at COP16. OCP Group, for instance, has collaborated with four million African farmers to map more than 50 million hectares of degraded land and promote regenerative agriculture. By committing to 5GW of clean energy production by 2027, the company showcased its alignment with global restoration initiatives.

A critical breakthrough at COP16 was the spotlight on innovative financing mechanisms. Philippe Zaouati, CEO of Mirova, showcased the success of the €200 million Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund). By leveraging blended finance — public-private investments — the LDN Fund has successfully restored degraded landscapes in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These combined funds magnify impact, demonstrating that restoration can deliver measurable environmental and economic outcomes. The momentum from this success is now fuelling the launch of SLF II, which aims to raise €300–400 million to drive biodiversity and carbon credit markets.

Nevertheless, balancing corporate ambitions with equity remains crucial. Ismahane Elouafi of CGIAR warned that excluding smallholder farmers — key providers of the world’s food— may perpetuate inequities, while Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President, Association for Fulani Women and Indigenous Peoples of Chad emphasized the importance of empowering Indigenous Peoples and local communities to be the drivers of their own destiny. For restoration projects to succeed, mechanisms like carbon markets must address these inequalities, ensuring benefits reach the most vulnerable communities and that smallholder farmers, who are on the frontlines of degradation, are properly compensated and supported by climate innovations.

Advanced technology emerged as a cornerstone of the fight against desertification and land degradation. Monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems stood out as indispensable tools for scaling restoration. Platforms like those developed by Forested have given local communities control over tracking their own environmental impact, promoting transparency and stakeholder buy-in. By doing so, these systems provide the foundation for environmental credit markets, including carbon and biodiversity credits.

This approach reverberated in discussions where urban leaders explored how nature positive cities can combat degradation, including spotlighting leading examples, such as the Durban lighthouse report. Initiatives like integrating restoration into urban planning and supporting local food systems demonstrated the role cities play as testing grounds for scalable, nature-positive solutions. Innovative funding and planning efforts can enhance urban resilience while also addressing global challenges.

Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) were another focal point at COP16. A recent World Economic Forum study on Africa’s Great Green Wall illustrated how VCMs could support the African Union-led Great Green Wall initiative to transform the Sahel region by restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land, which received an additional €14.6 million in funding at COP16. VCM projects could provide green jobs and generate up to 1.8 billion tons of carbon storage, underscoring the potential of well-regulated markets to bring financial and environmental benefits.

Regenerative agriculture will play a pivotal role in land restoration, offering solutions that align with UNCCD’s goal of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, with 250 million hectares identified for regenerative agriculture. In fact, revitalizing just 150 million hectares could generate $85 billion in economic benefits, including $30–40 billion directly benefiting smallholder farmers and enhancing food security for nearly 200 million people. Preventing topsoil loss, which could cost up to $2 trillion in Africa alone over the next 15 years, is critical; effective restoration could instead yield $1 trillion in global benefits by protecting soil, water resources and ecosystems while building resilience to climate pressures. A key outcome at COP16 was the $70 million committed to advance the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS).

COP16 also laid the groundwork for increased global collaboration. The Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership attracted more than $12 billion in funding for drought resilience of 80 of the world’s least developed countries. It is mobilizing nations, businesses and communities to tackle drought-prone areas with local, innovative solutions.

Another key development was the launch of the Rio Trio Initiative, which bridges efforts among the UNCCD, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Starting at New York Climate Week and culminating in the high-level opening ceremony of UNCCD COP16 Land Day, the three conventions began to align their goals of reversing land degradation, mitigating biodiversity loss and combating climate change.

The session on this collaboration highlighted the 1t.org China initiative, which strengthened trilateral partnerships between Geneva, Riyadh and Beijing. China’s scientific greening achievements, alongside Saudi Arabia’s bold Saudi Green Initiative, offer complementary strategies to advance nature restoration on a global scale.

COP16’s outcomes were not merely theoretical — they provided actionable takeaways. Increasing private investments to close the $2.1 trillion restoration funding gap and scaling partnerships like the Global EverGreening Alliance’s Harmonisation Approach Initiative and OCP’s carbon farming projects are urgent tasks.

But the conference also delivered a legacy in the Riyadh Action Agenda. This forward-looking framework under the COP16 presidency prioritizes innovation, equity and cross-sector collaboration. By tying sustainability goals to real-world action, the Riyadh Action Agenda offers a playbook for achieving land restoration, drought resilience and food security on a global scale.

The Rio Trio Initiative further strengthens this vision, linking the three Rio Conventions to unify efforts toward reversing environmental degradation. Together, the Riyadh Action Agenda and Rio Trio Initiative symbolize a step-change in the global approach to sustainability — a commitment to scaling systemic solutions to address the climate and nature polycrisis through innovation, partnerships and equality.

As delegates departed Riyadh, they left behind blueprints for solutions. Now, the challenge will be turning these frameworks into transformative action. The UNCCD COP16 has set the stage for a future in which land restoration and resilience-building anchor the global sustainability agenda.