African Leaders Meet to Combat Land Degradation and Desertification

By Monica MUEMA

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), the African Union Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) brought together African ministers of environment in Abidjan to adopt the Abidjan Declaration (https://apo-opa.co/3BnJ6GN), a commitment to jointly tackle land degradation, desertification, and drought across Africa.

The 10th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), held from 3-6 September, served as a platform to generate political momentum and secure essential financing and partnerships to address these urgent environmental challenges.

Key discussions focused on four critical policy areas: mitigating droughts in Africa; enhancing ambition to achieve land degradation neutrality targets; promoting ecosystem restoration opportunities; and strengthening partnerships for implementation and resource mobilisation.

The dialogue is expected to shape Africa’s strategies on finance, natural capital, and addressing marine and coastal challenges ahead of the UNCCD COP 16 to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

The Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Robert Beugré Mambé attended. In opening remarks, he said: “There is a very concerning imbalance.

We must stay informed in order to provide responses to our concerns, particularly to the global community, which is worried about the highly negative impact of climate change on our economic, human, and social activities. Some examples show that climate change affects more than 100 million hectares of land each year.”

Dr. Osama Ibrahim Faqiha, Deputy Minister at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Advisor to the COP16 Riyadh Presidency also attended the ministerial dialogue.

He said, “Elevating Africa’s ambitions to combat land degradation aligns with the message we wish to convey at COP16. It is crucial that land is prioritised in global efforts against drought, famine, rising carbon emissions, and forced migration—issues that have too often been sidelined.”

The Abidjan Declaration, adopted on September 6, 2024, during the conference, reflects the commitment of African governments to addressing the challenges of desertification and land degradation. Over 65 percent of the continent’s land is affected by degradation, impacting 400 million people.

Kevin Kariuki, African Development Bank Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, underscored the significance of these discussions. “Today’s session is an opportunity to review Africa’s progress since COP 15 in May 2022.

The challenges of land degradation and drought are pressing, and we are committed to finding urgent solutions as we implement our Ten-Year Strategy for 2024-2033,” he said.

Anthony Nyong, Climate Change and Growth Director at the African Development Bank, called for a shift in narrative regarding Africa’s challenges. “Partnership is essential in tackling the complex issues of land degradation, drought, and desertification.

We must adopt an integrated, sustainable approach, prioritizing investments in sustainable land practices and climate resilience. However, the prevailing narrative of vulnerability and underdevelopment obscures the climate opportunities and deters private investment.”