Riyadh, Dec 3 : The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened here, calling for global efforts to restore land and boost drought resilience.

Running until December 13 under the theme of "Our Land. Our Future," the event marks a milestone as the largest UN land-focused conference to date and the first UNCCD COP to take place in the Middle East and North Africa region, Xinhua news agency reported.

While addressing the opening ceremony on Monday, Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the UNCCD, highlighted the significance of land restoration, describing it as "one of the most effective tools to address some of the greatest challenges of our time -- climate change, food insecurity, economic inequality, forced migration, and even global instability".

By 2050, up to 7.5 billion people will feel the impact of drought, the executive secretary noted, calling for immediate action.

"Together, we can reverse the trends of land degradation and build a more resilient world to drought," he stressed.

For his part, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley said that more than three billion people are impacted by land degradation each year as a result of the loss of 100 million hectares of land, forest, and grasslands.

"This will increase levels of migration, stability, and security among many communities," he said.

During the ongoing COP 16, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, delegates are expected to decide on collective actions to accelerate land restoration efforts, enhance resilience to droughts and sand storms, restore soil health, and scale up nature-positive food production by 2030 and beyond.

/IANS