Nations meet in Saudi Arabia to tackle land degradation and drought at COP16 summit

Nations gathered in Saudi Arabia for the COP16 summit to address land degradation and drought, which threaten food and water supplies. A UN report warns that 5 billion people could be affected by these issues by the end of the century. The summit focused on creating a global framework for drought management. While some countries seek a legally binding protocol, others prefer a non-binding framework. Discussions highlighted the urgent need for proactive measures to combat drought and land degradation. Financial commitments were made, including $12 billion pledged for land restoration. However, a significant funding gap of $278 billion remains. The private sector is encouraged to invest more in land restoration efforts to help achieve UN goals by 2030.