December 4, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The global stage for land restoration took center stage during the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 2–13, 2024. With the theme “Our Land. Our Future,” this historic conference marked a pivotal moment in advancing global efforts for land restoration, drought resilience, and sustainable development.
Amid the multitude of sessions and events, the Landscape Partnership Asia (LPA) and Africa’s AFR100 co-hosted a side event titled “Land Restoration for and by All: Bringing Together Africa’s AFR100 and Landscape Partnership Asia (LPA) to Achieve the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and Global Forest Goals by 2030.” Held on December 4 at Pavilion 1 in the Green Zone, this collaborative session spotlighted the power of South–South cooperation and knowledge exchange to combat desertification and land degradation.
Opening Session
The event began with opening remarks by Ms. Mira Lee, Deputy Minister of the Korea Forest Service, who emphasized the critical importance of collaboration between Africa and Asia for achieving ecosystem restoration goals. She highlighted Korea’s leadership in fostering international cooperation through initiatives like LPA.
Following this, Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, Director of the G20 Global Initiative on Land, delivered congratulatory remarks, underlining the need to integrate restoration efforts into global sustainability frameworks.
Session I. Shared Vision and Actions of LPA and AFR100
The side event featured thought-provoking presentations from experts representing both Africa and Asia, showcasing innovative approaches and success stories in ecosystem restoration.
Dr. Kikang Bae (LPA Secretariat, AFoCO)
Dr. Bae introduced LPA’s multilateral efforts to address restoration challenges in Asia. She emphasized the importance of linking local restoration activities with global forest goals and highlighted Asia’s restoration vision, practical solutions, and the need for international collaboration to overcome challenges like land degradation and water scarcity.
Dr. Kilawe Edward (AFR100 Secretariat)
Dr. Edward shared successful restoration efforts across Africa led by AFR100, highlighting the importance of partnerships between local communities and governments. He stressed the role of tailored strategies in achieving restoration goals and discussed the potential for future collaboration between Africa and Asia to contribute to global restoration objectives.
Dr. Juliette Biao (Director, UNFF Secretariat)
Dr. Biao underscored forests’ critical role in supporting global livelihoods and stressed the need for harmonizing efforts across national, regional, and global frameworks. She called for increased public-private collaboration to scale up restoration financing and bridge funding gaps.
Dr. Eliane Ubalijoro (CEO, CIFOR-ICRAF)
Dr. Ubalijoro highlighted the role of innovative scientific data and community engagement in restoration. She presented successful examples of community science programs and expressed CIFOR-ICRAF’s intention to collaborate with Mongolia at COP17 to demonstrate tangible restoration results.
Session II. Beating the Odds to Large-Scale Restoration
The second session of the side event focused on practical solutions and case studies that demonstrated the potential for large-scale restoration across Asia and Africa. Speakers shared their insights on overcoming challenges and implementing sustainable restoration practices.
Dr. Oyunsanaa Byambasuren (Director General, National Forest Agency of Mongolia)
Dr. Byambasuren shared Mongolia’s “1 Billion Trees National Movement,” emphasizing long-term planning and collaboration with local communities and 23 mining companies. He highlighted cross-border cooperation with Korea and China to address dust storm challenges.
Dr. Chetan Kumar (Global Head of Forest and Grassland Team, IUCN)
Dr. Kumar introduced IUCN’s tools like ROAM, stressing that restoration should integrate biodiversity, agriculture, and water quality improvements. He highlighted their “Four Ps” approach—Pledge, Plan, Plant, Proof—for ensuring sustainable and data-driven outcomes.
Dr. Leigh Winowiecki (Global Research Leader, CIFOR-ICRAF)
Dr. Winowiecki presented CIFOR-ICRAF’s global soil health data and community-driven restoration management. She announced plans to showcase Mongolia’s grassland restoration at COP17 as a model for success.
Dr. Lalisa Duguma (Program Impact Advisor, Global EverGreening Alliance)
Dr. Duguma emphasized the importance of long-term impacts through sustainable collaborations with communities and the private sector. He advocated for leveraging private-sector investments and global partnerships to expand restoration projects.
The side event effectively highlighted the critical role of South–South collaboration and knowledge sharing in advancing global restoration goals, emphasizing the importance of strengthening partnerships between local communities, governments, and the private sector, mobilizing financial resources through innovative funding mechanisms, and adopting data-driven approaches to monitor progress and ensure sustainability.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Sunpil Jin, Vice Executive Director of AFoCO, who thanked the distinguished speakers and participants and highlighted the importance of collaboration between AFR100 and LPA in tackling desertification and land degradation. He reaffirmed their commitment to aligning efforts with the LPA and AFR100, emphasizing the need for sustained action and collective efforts to achieve restoration objectives.
