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Healthy land the size of
Central Asia lost since 2015UN
conference to tackle rapid land degradation and
worsening droughts to take place in Samarkand,
Uzbekistan, from 13-17 November
2023Bonn/Samarkand, 13
September 2023 – For the first time since
its inception, the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) will convene one of its
official meetings in Central Asia. The
twenty-first session of the Committee for the
Review of the Implementation of the Convention
(CRIC 21) will reveal the latest global trends in
land degradation and drought, and review how
countries are progressing with land
restoration.
It comes at a vital moment,
when the world is witnessing an uptick in extreme
weather events, with historic heatwaves and
wildfires across Europe and North America, several
failed rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa, and
devastating floods, monsoons and cyclones in Asia.
Land degradation contributes to these climatic
changes and events and is simultaneously made
worse by them.
Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD
Executive Secretary, said: “We are at a crucial
juncture in our efforts to sustain life on land.
Droughts, wildfires and heatwaves we have
witnessed around the world are the symptoms of the
deepening and interlinked climate and nature
crises, with land at the heart of both. Since
2015, some 4 million square kilometres of healthy
and productive lands have been lost—an area
roughly the size of Central Asia. We must urgently
stop further land degradation and restore at least
1 billion hectares to meet global land targets by
2030.”
The meeting will be held at the Silk
Road Samarkand Congress Centre in Samarkand,
Uzbekistan, from 13 to 17 November 2023. On 15
November, there will be a high-level event on sand
and dust storms, many of which have occurred in
Uzbekistan and surrounding countries and regions
with increasing frequency and severity in recent
years. In addition, the UNCCD Gender Caucus on 14
November will convene international experts to
discuss women’s land rights as a prerequisite to
the success of global land restoration and drought
resilience efforts.
According to the
latest
UN data, between 2015 and 2019, at least 100
million hectares of healthy and productive land
were degraded every year, affecting food and water
security globally and directly impacting the lives
of 1.3 billion people.
This adds up to 420
million hectares, or 4.2 million square
kilometres, slightly over the combined area of
five Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan. If current trends continue, restoring
1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030 will be
necessary to achieve a land-degradation-neutral
world. Alternatively, halting any new land
degradation and accelerating existing commitments
to restore 1 billion hectares can surpass the
neutrality target.
CRIC21 will review
progress in implementing the Convention’s
strategic objectives on promoting sustainable land
management, building drought resilience,
supporting women's leadership in sustainable
agriculture, and addressing forced migration due
to land degradation and climate change. It will
bring together representatives from 196 countries
and the European Union which are signatories to
the UNCCD, as well as civil society, academia and
international organizations.
ENDS
Notes
to Editors Accredited media
representatives are invited to attend and report
on CRIC21 and associated events. Field visits
where journalists can see land restoration and
drought resilience projects will take place
immediately prior to CRIC21.
Online
registration for media representatives is
available at the following link:
www.unccd.int/cric-21-online-registration.
To
register, please provide the following documents:
- One
recent passport-sized photograph;
- A
valid press card;
- A
copy (picture and signature pages) of your
passport (for foreign journalists) or national
identity card (for local applicants);
- A
letter of introduction from the bureau chief or
company sponsoring your travel to the session.
For freelance journalists, a letter is required
from the media organization assigning you to
cover the conference;
- A
duly completed accreditation form.
Journalists who register online will be
able to collect their accreditation at the Silk
Road Samarkand Congress Center on presentation of
a valid press card and an identity
document.
For more information on the
regulations governing visa applications and the
introduction of reporting material into
Uzbekistan, please consult the following link:
https://e-visa.gov.uz/main_For
inquiries about media accreditation or coverage of
the event, please contact:
pr...@unccd.intA
dedicated press and media working space will be
available at the conference
venue.
Additional information and
media updates on the Convention and CRIC 21 will
be available on the host country CRIC 21 website
and the UNCCD
website.
