A high-level side event, hosted by Saudi Arabia on the margins of the UN General Assembly, will focus on the upcoming UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh and the importance of raising global efforts to address land degradation and drought and their social, environmental and economic impacts. From 1:15pm to 2:30pm in Conference Room 2 at UN Headquarters. Watch live on UN WebTV.

Decision-makers and experts will review the progress made in the past decade and outline a path to translate drought policies into action around the world. The outcomes of the Conference will inform the negotiations at UNCCD COP16. Monday 30 September12:55 – 13:55 CETUNCCD’s Intergovernmental Working Group (IWG) on Drought – Results and perspectives from five continents | UNCCD IWG on DroughtGovernance in Action: Strategies for Improved Drought Risk Management | Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, UNCCD, GWP, Bahir Dar University Ethiopia, IUCNTowards actionable information to foster drought resilience – Lessons from across scales14:00 – 15:30 CETPlenary session on drought risk covernance: The regional, national and local challengesTuesday 1 October08:30 – 10:00 CETPlenary session on the need to turn drought policies into action12:25 – 13:25 CETUNCCD and IDMP communities of learning and practice: Collaborative approaches to drought management and resilience | UNCCD, GWP, WMO15:30 – 17:00 CETPlenary session on drought risk finance17:15 – 18:15 CETThe International Drought Resilience Observatory unveiled | IDRA, UNCCD, UNU-INWEH, World Bank Group, Yale CEAGlobal Report on the Economics of Drought – Benefits of proactive investments to improve drought readiness | GIZ, UNU-INWEHWednesday 2 October12:25– 13:25 CETThe Global Drought Atlas – A perspective on drought risks and resilience | UNCCD, JRC, CIMA, IVM-VU, UNU15:00– 18:00 CETHigh-level closing session: Turning drought resilience challenges into actionAccess the full programme here.Register for the online conference as a participant or as a journalist.