African leaders meet to combat land degradation and desertification

The African Development Bank, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) brought together African ministers of environment in Abidjan to adopt the Abidjan Declaration, a commitment to jointly tackle land degradation, desertification, and drought across Africa.

The 10th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), held from 3-6 September, served as a platform to generate political momentum and secure essential financing and partnerships to address these urgent environmental challenges. Key discussions focused on four critical policy areas: mitigating droughts in Africa; enhancing ambition to achieve land degradation neutrality targets; promoting ecosystem restoration opportunities; and strengthening partnerships for implementation and resource mobilisation.

The dialogue is expected to shape Africa’s strategies on finance, natural capital, and addressing marine and coastal challenges ahead of the UNCCD COP 16 to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.