Empowering Arab Youth to Combat Desertification and Restore Degraded Lands

Riyadh hosts a side event entitled “Empowering Arab Youth to Combat Desertification and Restore Degraded Lands”

As part of the activities of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) currently being held in Riyadh, the Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network, in partnership with the International Youth Council Yemen and Shabab House Foundation, organized a side event entitled “Empowering Arab Youth to Combat Desertification and Restore Degraded Lands”, with the wide participation of youth, experts, and decision-makers from various Arab countries.

The event focused on the importance of the role of youth in combating desertification as key partners in sustainable development, as participants discussed the most prominent challenges facing degraded lands in the Arab region, and innovative solutions led by youth to restore these lands and enhance the sustainability of natural resources.

Event topics and recommendations

The event addressed several main topics, most notably:

• Enhancing youth participation: exploring ways to involve youth in national and regional environmental projects.
• Innovative restoration strategies: discussing methods of land restoration using modern technology and sustainable agriculture.
• Regional cooperation: emphasizing the importance of exchanging experiences between Arab countries to confront desertification collectively.

Calls for joint action

The event concluded with calls to activate partnerships between governments, international organizations, and Arab youth to accelerate the fight against desertification.

Organizers also encouraged the launch of funding initiatives to support youth projects, and the expansion of community awareness campaigns on the importance of land restoration.

It is worth noting that this side event reflects the conference’s commitment to strengthening joint Arab action to protect natural resources and achieve sustainable development