UNCCD and Saudi Arabia strengthen cooperation on restoring land for food security, resilience and stability

High-level meeting in Bonn highlights land degradation and drought as rising drivers of instability and security risks

Bonn, 26 January 2026 — The secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the Presidency of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP), underscored the importance of addressing the land–drought–water–security nexus as a strategic priority for food security, resilience and stability.

During a high-level meeting in Bonn, Adel Al Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Envoy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, highlighted the link between land degradation and security. Yasmine Fouad, UNCCD Executive Secretary, highlighted that healthy land is foundational to food security, livelihoods and prosperity, with direct implications for stability as communities face rising vulnerability and increasing resource stress.

“Drought is a global issue with a direct impact on people and livelihoods. There is an urgent need to elevate this discourse and bring greater attention to the links between drought and national security,” said Minister Al Jubeir.

“At UNCCD, we are deeply committed to the principle that the health of the land is critical to ensuring peace and stability. Desertification, land degradation and drought drive food prices and exacerbate conflict and insecurity as people struggle to survive amid shrinking resources. These are fundamental development and security challenges and must be prioritized as such,” said Executive Secretary Fouad.

Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressed the importance of sustaining political momentum from COP16 to COP17:

“Land sits at the heart of multiple global challenges — from food and water security to climate resilience and sustainable growth,” Dr. Faqeeha said. “Building on the outcome and historical success of COP16, we need to maintain the international momentum in COP17.”

By 2050, the world will need to produce 50 per cent more food to feed a growing global population, even as up to 40 per cent of land is already degraded. Restoring 150 million hectares of degraded land could improve food security for 200 million people, by increasing yields, strengthening resilience and reducing pressure to expand agricultural frontiers.

At UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh in December 2024, countries committed to accelerating efforts to sustainably manage and restore land as a driver of economic growth, prosperity and well-being. Through initiatives such as Great Green Wall and the Peace Forest Initiative, UNCCD is advancing land restoration to address the environmental, economic and social impacts of land degradation, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

For more information, please contact: press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)