Global Drought Growing, Driven By Climate, Per UN Summit Being Held In (Of Course) Saudi Arabia

Much of Earth’s lands are drying out and damaging the ability of plant and animal life to survive, according to a United Nations report released Monday at talks where countries are working to address the problem. The report was released at the U.N. summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on combating desertification — once-fertile lands turning into deserts because of hotter temperatures from human-caused climate change, lack of water and deforestation. It found that more than three-quarters of the world’s land experienced drier conditions from 1970 to 2020 than the previous thirty-year period.

“The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, chief of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which is facilitating the Riyadh talks. “This change is redefining life on Earth.” At the talks, which started last week and are set to end on Friday, nations are discussing how better they can help the world deal with droughts — a more urgent lack of water over shorter periods — and the more permanent problem of degrading land.

EDIT

Thiaw, the UNCCD chief, said that hosts Saudi Arabia pledging $2.15 billion from various countries and international banks for drought resilience has set the right tone for the meetings. And the Arab Coordination Group — 10 development banks based in the Middle East — committed $10 billion by 2030 to address degrading land, desertification and drought. The funds are expected to support 80 of the most vulnerable countries prepare for worsening drought conditions. But the U.N. estimates that between 2007 and 2017, droughts cost $125 billion worldwide.

Ed. -

EDIT

While drought can be very damaging, Thiaw wrote in Monday’s report, recovery is possible. But he called the drying of land “an unrelenting menace that requires lasting adaptation measures.” Longer lasting solutions — such as the curbing of climate change — are not much of a talking point at the Riyadh summit. Hosts Saudi Arabia have long been criticized by some other nations and climate analysts for stalling progress on curbing emissions from fossil fuels at other negotiations.

EDIT

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-desertification-riyadh-cop16-unccd-aridity-b04581d859aa6229cc2ebfc7a17a03de