Upcoming events

The next UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – the largest-ever meeting of UNCCD’s 197 Parties, the first to be held in the Middle East region and the largest multilateral conference ever hosted by Saudi Arabia. Happening in the year that also marks the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD. COP16 is set to become a landmark event for accelerating action on land restoration, drought resilience and green transition. More info: https://www.unccd.int/cop16

The Science-Policy Interface Day at COP 16 is a dedicated event for fostering dialogue among scientists, policymakers and practitioners on addressing desertification, land degradation and drought. This year’s focus is on historical and future aridity trends and sustainable land use systems.The event will explore two critical dimensions: adapting to aridification and scaling up systems approaches to land use and management. Drawing from recent scientific assessments, the SPI will present findings on aridity trends and their role in climate adaptation, along with strategies for addressing land degradation through sustainable land use systems.Panel discussions and interactive sessions will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, case studies, and practical solutions. Participants will discuss how to scale up effective practices and integrate science into policy, with a focus on fostering collaboration and aligning efforts under the three Rio conventions. Audience engagement will be central, ensuring diverse perspectives contribute to enhancing land resilience to aridity.

STI Day at UNCCD COP16 focuses on advancing scientific and technological solutions to support land health and resilient communities. With land degradation escalating, it aims to bridge science and policy by engaging diverse stakeholders — research institutions, data providers, tech developers and civil society — to drive ambitious, science-based action for sustainable land management.

The World Bank Land Conference has catalyzed the global land community for over 20 years. The Conference is the premier global forum for the land sector, bringing together over 1 000 participants from governments, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector to showcase policy-relevant research, discuss technical issues and sector good practice and inform our dialogue. The Conference also aims to encourage cross-sectoral knowledge exchange and has incubated numerous investments, initiatives, and research projects led by diverse stakeholders, including the Voluntary Guidelines, the Land Governance Assessment Framework and the Stand for Her Land Campaign. More info here.