CDE/WOCAT activities at the UNCCD Conference in Riyadh

The theme of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh is “Our Land. Our Future”. COP16 is a critical moment for governments and non-state actors to slow and reverse land degradation. Join WOCAT and CDE at the UNCCD COP16 from 2-13 December, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!

Together with their partners, CDE researchers of the WOCAT team will bring the expertise of its global network to the forefront. At the WOCAT-UNCCD Pavilion, through engaging side events, during the CRIC plenary, and at the Gender Caucus, they will contribute to the COP16 agenda with innovative sessions, trainings, and discussions, complementing the official programme.

The “World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT)” encompasses the official UNCCD primary recommended global database on sustainable land management for best practices and is hosted by CDE.

More information on COP16

More information on our activities at the WOCAT-UNCCD Pavilion

Visit us at the COP16 – Events with our contributions:

Tuesday 3 December, 15:30 – 17:00, Restoration Pavilion

This side event will introduce the G20 Global Land Initiative's "Trigger Change!" courses, aimed at educating and empowering future leaders in land restoration. The session will then transition into an interactive discussion on good practices from the G20 courses, common land restoration narratives, and future scenarios. Contribution in session: Ingrid Teich

Wednesday 4 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-02

Advancements in soil health and land restoration monitoring. Organized by CIFOR-ICRAF. MET-02. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Thursday 5 December, 13:00 – 14:30, MET-03

Accelerating the cycle of evidence-based SLM technologies and approaches: From collection to dissemination. Co-hosted by Tottori University, WOCAT, and JICA. Contribution in session: Camilla Steinböck, Tatenda Lemann

Thursday 5 December, 15:00 – 16:30, MET-23

Mapping land degradation hotspots: Hands-on session using mapping tools to identify areas vulnerable to land degradation while sharing best practices and innovative approaches for restoring degraded lands. Contribution in session: Ingrid Teich

Thursday 5 December, 15:30 – 17:00, MET-04

Sustainable Land Management and Agroecology in synergy: Evidence, good practices and lessons learnt for scaling. Organized by GiZ. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Thursday 5 December, 15:30 – 17:00, MET-03

Climate change adaptation directorate: Ecoregional approach for mapping land degradation and estimating SDG indicator 15.3.1 in highly diverse countries. Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador. Contribution in session: Ingrid Teich

Thursday 5 December, 18:00–19:30, MET-05

Accelerating action on soil health in Africa for resilient landscapes and food security. Organized by AUDA-NEPAD. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Friday 6 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-02

KSA principles and good practices in sustainable rangeland management for land restoration. Organized by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC) of Saudia Arabia. Contribution in session: Jonas Chastonay, Tatenda Lemann

Friday 6 December, 11:00 – 12:30, MET-04

Integrated land use planning, implementation and monitoring for land degradation neutrality. Organized by FAO. Contribution in session: Jonas Chastonay

Friday 6 December, 13:00 – 14:30, MET-06

The Land Story. Country experiences with reporting on land degradation and drought. Organized by WOCAT/CDE. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Friday 6 December, 13:00 – 14:30, MET-02

LDN TSP 2.0 national processes: progress to date and lessons learned. Organized by the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and Erosion, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Türkiye. Contribution in session: Ingrid Teich

Friday 6 December, 17:00 – 18:00, Restoration Pavilion

A future at risk: The policy challenge of land degradation for children’s wellbeing. A child responsive approach to tackling desertification, land degradation and drought. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Saturday 7 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-04

The gateway to land restoration and resilience: Pathways to land tenure for women and youth. Organized by Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD). Contribution in session: Camilla Steinböck

Saturday 7 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-07

Launch of SLM framework and platform for Saudi Arabia. Organized by FAO - KSA FAO, WOCAT, and NCVC. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann, Jonas Chastonay

Saturday 7 December, 15:00 – 16:20, MET-24

Gender Caucus: Emerging best practices on the collection of sex-disaggregated data and gender-responsive indicators for DLDD initiatives. This session will showcase best practices in gender-responsive indicators to guide the UNCCD in refining its metrics for the next strategic framework. Contribution in session: Camilla Steinböck

Monday 9 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-04

A true participatory monitoring tool measuring progress towards all aspects related to sustainable land rehabilitation. Organized by WOCAT/CDE. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Monday 9 December, 9:00 – 10:30, MET-07

Strengthening regional cooperation to achieve LDN in transboundary water catchments in Central America. Organized by the Ministry of Environment of Panama. Contribution in session: Ingrid Teich

Monday 9 December, 15:00 – 18:00, CRIC plenary meeting

Towards a coordinated, responsive and innovation driven capacity building. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Monday 9 December, 18:00 – 19:30, MET-22

Technical roundtable on scaling capacity for inclusive decision support in LDN. Organized by UNDP.

Tuesday 10 December, 16:45 – 17:45, GEO&GEO-LDN Pavilion, Green Zone

LUP4LDN Presentation. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Tuesday 10 December, 17:45 – 18:45, GEO&GEO-LDN Pavilion, Green Zone

The contribution of land and water management approaches to sustainable land management and achieving land degradation neutrality. Contribution in session: Tatenda Lemann

Wednesday 11 December, tbc

Launch of the WOCAT Multi-Donor Basket Fund for Sustainable Land Management

The launch of the WOCAT Multi-Donor Basket Fund at UNCCD COP16 marks a significant milestone in WOCAT’s global efforts to combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management (SLM) to reach land degradation neutrality. Through its local to global action and outreach, WOCAT has created a unique platform for knowledge sharing and learning, fostering innovation, and building capacity to address land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss at all levels. WOCAT plays a pivotal role in supporting UNCCD Parties and stakeholders in documenting, sharing, and scaling up SLM practices.