COP16 media advisory: 10 December 2024

9 December 2024
Press release

Resilience Day at UNCCD COP16: Strengthening Ecosystems and Societies Against Threats to Land

Members of the press are invited to Day 9 of UNCCD COP16, which focuses on building resilience against global challenges to land such as desertification, water scarcity and degradation through proactive approaches such as early warning systems and nature-based solutions. The day’s activities are on scaling up land restoration, strengthening early warning systems, and promoting water security and drought preparedness.

Key Events

Opening Session: Resilience to address the challenges of land degradation, desertification, drought and water scarcity
When: 09:00-10:00
Where: MET-33

This session will set the stage of the day and will bring high level speakers to discuss – what is needed to scale up resilience globally and increase action to combat land desertification, ecosystems degradation, drought and water scarcity.

International Drought Resilience Observatory Expert Exchange

When: 13:30-14:30
Where: MET-24

Closing Event: Connecting DLDD, SDS and water scarcity with Integrated Land Solutions
When: 17:30-18:30
Where: MET-33

Resilience Day showcased a range of interdisciplinary and integrated actions and solutions that can be scaled up to enhance the resilience of communities, countries, and regions across the globe. It argued for an inclusive and transformative approach that promotes land restoration and nature-based solutions, long-term investment and contingency planning, risk and impact assessment, early warning systems, evidence and research for replication, capacity strengthening for scale, policy upgrades, risk financing (e.g., insurance), and a bottom-up/people-ecosystems- centered approach capable of facilitating resilience.

Other Press Events

Voice of Civil Society Organizations Press Conference: CSOs at the heart of the fight against desertification

When: 11:00-11:30

Where: MET-17

This event will focus on topics relevant to civil society organizations (CSOs), with discussions on the intersection of land restoration, policy action, and civil society contributions.

Media Accreditation

All journalists must be accredited to attend. Accreditation can be completed through the Online Registration System (ORS). Additional information, including the full agenda and session details, is available on the COP16 website.

For inquiries, contact press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)

Key resources