Deserts
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of progress made towards tackling desertification at the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
COP16 was the biggest and most inclusive Desertification COP to date. It marked a significant milestone, raising global ambition and mobilising finance to strengthen drought resilience, restore degraded land and combat desertification: issues critically interlinked with the UK's international development, climate and nature goals. We welcome the leadership the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia COP16 Presidency has shown in elevating these critical issues. Many important outcomes were achieved at UNCCD COP16, including over $12 billion announced to support UNCCD issues over the next decade, and the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership to scale support for vulnerable countries. There is further to go, including reaching an agreed global approach on drought resilience, that drives ambition, progress and delivery.
The UK is committed to supporting vulnerable countries to build resilience and scale action on drought, desertification, water security, and land degradation. Our £11.6 billion International Climate Finance commitment includes £1.5 billion for adaptation in 2025 - a tripling from 2019 levels. This includes an initial investment in the Resilience and Adaptation Fund, which will help hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families across the world secure better access to food, water and productive land.
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