RIYADH: THE government has called upon the international community to collaborate in protecting the world’s ecosystems from drought, which poses a significant threat to the environment.
This was stated by the Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr Khamis Hamza Khamis, during his participation in the 16th Conference of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD COP16), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, this week.
The Deputy Minister informed the participants that despite the challenges posed by drought, Tanzanian government has established robust systems to withstand its effects, which threaten lives, food security and access to water across the country.
Mr Khamis highlighted that the government, through the Vice-President’s Office, launched the National Environmental Master Plan (2022–2032) as part of efforts to address the challenges of drought.
He explained that the Master Plan integrates multiple sectors, including water, agriculture and forestry, which are vital for human survival.
Through these sectors, the government has invested in climate-smart agriculture to establish systems that are resilient to drought and early warning mechanisms to provide timely alerts to vulnerable communities.
He also mentioned other initiatives, such as watershed conservation and the development of water infrastructure to improve water security and efficient use, as well as promoting clean energy solutions to reduce deforestation and enhance energy efficiency.
“As we continue with these efforts, we appeal to the international community to assist us in strengthening access to funding through mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and scaling up projects like the Simiyu Climate Resilience Project, which contributes to water access in drought-prone regions,” the deputy minister appealed.
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He further called for support in advancing technology, building technical capacity for drought management and creating incentives to encourage private sector investment in large-scale drought resilience programmes.
The UNCCD COP16 takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2-13 December 2024 under the theme ‘Our Land. Our Future’.
The conference is more than a critical milestone – it represents a moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.
It is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties – 196 countries and the European Union.
Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP16 is the largest UN land conference to date and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.
The COP16 is poised to be a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet.
