UN Launches Review Session to Combat Desertification in Uzbekistan
The 21st session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Committee on the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC21) has begun in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Nov. 13. More than 500 delegates from 196 countries have gathered to address issues such as drought resilience, the promotion of women’s land rights, and combating sand and dust storms. The session will also focus on the progress countries are making in restoring productive land.
According to the latest UN data, 420 million hectares of fertile and productive land have been degraded between 2015 and 2019, exceeding the combined landscapes of several Central Asian countries. In Kazakhstan, the share of degraded land in 2019 is estimated to be 21.3%, with desertification affecting 66% of the country’s territory.
The panel session on Nov. 13 will focus on trends in the Central Asian region in desertification, land degradation, and drought. The UNCCD Gender Caucus on Nov. 14 will convene international experts to discuss women’s land rights as a prerequisite to the success of global land restoration and drought resilience efforts.
On Nov. 15, the session will present the latest data on sand and dust storms, many of which have occurred in Uzbekistan and surrounding countries with increasing frequency and severity in recent years. The conference will run until Nov. 17, with the goal of addressing these pressing environmental issues and finding collaborative solutions.
