Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Addressing Drought Challenges, Welcomes Scientific Community at COP16 Conference
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized that the challenges of drought are a global reality, as indicated by scientific data, stressing the importance of addressing them at all societal levels through appropriate and effective measures.
It highlighted the need to develop various technologies, such as adaptation and resilience techniques, and to build human and technical capacities to ensure a comprehensive approach that achieves the desired goals of preserving arable land and rehabilitating degraded lands.
These points were stated in the Kingdom’s speech at the "Enhancing Resilience to Drought" conference in Geneva, delivered by the CEO of the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) Chief Executive, head of the Saudi delegation to the conference, and advisor to the Presidency of COP16 in Riyadh Dr. Ayman bin Salem Ghulam.
The conference was attended by global leaders and experts to discuss policy frameworks aimed at strengthening resilience to the global impacts of drought.
Ghulam stated that climate-change studies have indicated that rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns increase the likelihood of deepening drought in affected areas and potentially the emergence of new regions that have not previously experienced drought.
He noted that drought impacts numerous environmental and human activities, such as land degradation, turning it into an unsuitable environment for many forms of wildlife, thereby threatening biodiversity and ecological balance. Additionally, a deficit in rainfall in agricultural areas could pose a threat to both local and global food security, he added.
Concluding his speech, Dr. Ghulam welcomed the international scientific community to the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), scheduled to be held in Riyadh from December 3 to 13, 2024.
He emphasized that the event will be the largest gathering of the 197 parties to the convention.
