Restoring degraded land globally requires $2.6 trillion by 2030. UN urges private sector action to combat rising drought risks and ensure food security for a growing population.
RIYADH (Reuters) - Restoring the world's degraded land and holding back its deserts will require at least $2.6 trillion in investment by the end of the decade, the U.N. executive overseeing global talks on the issue told Reuters, quantifying the cost for the first time.
More frequent and severe droughts as a result of climate change combined with the food needs of a rising population meant societies were at greater risk of upheaval unless action was taken, Ibrahim Thiaw said ahead of talks in Riyadh this week.
The two-week meeting aims to strengthen the world's drought resilience, including by toughening up the legal obligations of states, laying out strategic next steps and securing finance.
A large chunk of the around $1 billion a day that is required will need to come from the private sector, said Thiaw, who is Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
"The bulk of the investments on land restoration in the world is coming from public money. And that is not right. Because essentially the main driver of land degradation in the world is food production... which is in the hands of the private sector," Thiaw said, adding that as of now it provides only 6% of the money needed to rehabilitate damaged land.
"How come that one hand is degrading the land and the other hand has the charge of restoring it and repairing it?," said Thiaw, whilst acknowledging the responsibility of governments to set and enforce good land-use policies and regulations.
With a growing population meaning that the world needs to produce twice as much food on the same amount of land, private sector investment would be critical, he said.
The talks in Saudi Arabia follow similar U.N. events in October on biodiversity and in November on climate change and plastics, where finance - or the lack of it - played a central role.
To hit $2.6 trillion - approaching the annual economic output of France - the world needs to close an annual gap of $278 billion, after just $66 billion was invested in 2022, the U.N. said.
Reuters
LONG PROCESS
A U.N.-backed study released on Sunday said land degradation was "undermining Earth's capacity to sustain humanity" and failure to reverse it would "pose challenges for generations".
Land totalling around 15 million square kilometres - bigger than Antarctica - was already degraded, and was growing by about 1 million square kilometres each year, it added.
Getting agreement on hardening up the legal obligations of states, though, will be among the tougher deals to strike, Thiaw said, adding that some countries were "not ready to have another legally binding instrument" while others felt it was important.
While countries had already made commitments to protect around 900 million hectares of land, they needed to set a more ambitious target of 1.5 billion hectares and speed up the pace.
Failure to agree on steps to restore degraded land would ultimately hurt parallel U.N.-led efforts to rein in climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity, Thiaw said, with agriculture accounting for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of deforestation and 70% of freshwater use.
"The resources that we are talking about are not charity," Thiaw said, adding: "So it is important that we see this not as an investment for poor Africans, but as an investment that will keep the world balanced."
Iran has lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council, accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of making "reckless and belligerent" remarks that violate international law and the U.N. Charter.
The UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has dismissed Armenia’s claims regarding the detention of Ruben Vardanyan. The group confirmed that his detention by Azerbaijan is based on serious criminal charges, not political motives.
Sudan’s war has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions facing famine and aid blocked by warring factions, U.N. officials warned.
The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Wednesday to address Iran’s growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, following concerns raised by Western diplomats, sources said on Monday.
Samsung has appointed Roh Tae-moon as interim head of its consumer and smartphone unit following the passing of Han Jong-hee. With CEO Jun Young-hyun now solely leading the company, Samsung faces key challenges in its chip business and rising competition.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
The Swiss government announced on Tuesday that the value of Russian assets frozen in the country has risen to 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8.38 billion) by the end of March 2025, up from 5.8 billion francs last year, due to newly identified funds and ongoing investigations into sanctions violations.
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement, ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race. She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Le Pen plans to appeal.
Apple marked its 49th anniversary by reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion. Despite recent tech stock volatility, Apple's shares surged 28% in 2024.
The Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights over Azerbaijan Army positions near Gerenzur, but all were successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, Armenian units repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani positions from multiple regions, escalating tensions in the area.
The World Bank reported that air pollution leads to approximately 5.7 million deaths each year, with 95% of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income nations. It also causes economic losses amounting to 5% of global GDP due to health impacts, productivity decline, and reduced life expectancy.
France, Italy, and Slovakia have urged the EU to simplify its carbon border levy rules this year, calling for reduced red tape and standardized emissions calculations to ease the burden on businesses.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) officially confirmed that 2024 was a record year for renewables additions to global power capacity. Renewables represented more than 92 per cent of all new electricity generation capacity installed last year.
Samsung has appointed Roh Tae-moon as interim head of its consumer and smartphone unit following the passing of Han Jong-hee. With CEO Jun Young-hyun now solely leading the company, Samsung faces key challenges in its chip business and rising competition.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
The Swiss government announced on Tuesday that the value of Russian assets frozen in the country has risen to 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8.38 billion) by the end of March 2025, up from 5.8 billion francs last year, due to newly identified funds and ongoing investigations into sanctions violations.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment