After two weeks of intense negotiations, COP16 on land degradation, which was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ended late Friday, December 13. A strong decision on the central issue of drought was expected, but the negotiators decided not to decide anything, referring this question to the next desertification COP which will be held in two years, in Mongolia.
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With our special correspondent in Riyadh, Igor Strauss
In a report published during this COP, the scientific committee of this convention drew up a overwhelming assessment of the state of the soil. More than three-quarters of the planet’s land surface has experienced drier conditions over the past three decades, with disastrous consequences for agriculture, ecosystems and the people who live there.
In total, 2.3 billion people suffer from drought and aridity. Science should therefore make it possible to raise this neglected subject to the top of the political agenda, but this is not the case.
A failure on several levels
The failure is total, and on several levels: failure of multilateralism as the Africa group feared, failure of African states, incapable of having their voice respected in what is considered their COP. A failure of the Westerners, who defend only one thing: their own economic interests to the detriment of the common interest. And finally a failure of Saudi Arabia, the host country, which wanted a politically ambitious agreement to position itself, in great hypocrisy, as a major environmental player.
Strangled by their shame, not a single delegation dared to testify at the microphone of RFI, the only media present until the end of these negotiations.
Also readCOP16: the planet’s soils facing drought