UNCCD COP 16 Fails to Reach Agreement on Global Drought Response

After two weeks of deliberations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, representatives from 197 nations failed to reach a consensus on a global strategy to combat worsening drought conditions. The biennial U.N. talks, known as COP 16 and organized under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), aimed to secure legally binding commitments from countries to fund early warning systems and bolster drought resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Africa.

A Growing Crisis Without an Agreement

The failure to produce an actionable agreement has raised concerns, as a recent UNCCD report warned that nearly five billion people could experience severe drought conditions by the end of the century if current global warming trends persist. Currently, one quarter of the world’s population faces drought – related challenges, with projections indicating that regions such as Europe, parts of the Western U.S., Brazil, Eastern Asia, and Central Africa will be significantly affected. The report also highlighted the severe risk to global food security, as prolonged droughts threaten agricultural output.

The U.N. estimates that between 2007 and 2017, droughts have cost $125 billion worldwide. This marks the fourth instance this year where major UN environmental negotiations have failed to deliver substantive progress, including those addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and plastic pollution. With negotiations now deferred to 2026 in Mongolia, concerns are mounting over whether global leaders can effectively coordinate responses to escalating environmental crises.

Lack of Consensus and Political Roadblocks

Ibrahim Thiaw, head of the UNCCD, acknowledged the impasse, stating, “Parties need more time to agree on what’s the best way forward to address the critical issue of drought.” He emphasized that the Riyadh conference stood apart from previous meetings by elevating the discussion beyond sector – specific concerns, instead positioning drought resilience as central to tackling broader challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, migration, and global security.

Yet, the talks notably avoided discussion of long – term climate change mitigation strategies, despite climate shifts being a primary driver of worsening droughts. Saudi Arabia, which hosted the talks, has been previously criticized for obstructing progress on global efforts to curb fossil fuel emissions. The Gulf nation remains one of the world’s top oil producers and exporters, with the second largest global oil reserves.

Erika Gomez, lead negotiator from Panama, stated that while no definitive decision was reached on addressing droughts, meaningful progress was made on other key issues. “We have achieved several key milestones, particularly in the growing traction of civil society engagement and the gender decision,” Gomez said.

Jes Weigelt of European climate think – tank TMG Research, who has been tracking the talks, expressed disappointment over the lack of a binding resolution. “Until the very end, parties could not agree on whether or not the new instrument to respond to drought should be legally binding or not,” Weigelt noted. “I fear, the UNCCD COP 16 has suffered the same fate as the biodiversity and climate COPs this year. It failed to deliver.”

Financial Pledges Offer Limited Relief

Despite the stalemate in policy negotiations, the conference saw financial commitments to drought resilience efforts. Saudi Arabia, along with several other nations and international banks, pledged $2.15 billion to support drought preparedness measures. Additionally, the Arab Coordination Group – a coalition of 10 development banks from the Middle East – committed $10 billion by 2030 to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought. These funds are expected to assist 80 of the most at – risk countries in adapting to worsening conditions.

However, without a binding global framework, experts warn that financial pledges alone may not be enough to mitigate the long – term risks posed by climate driven droughts. With the next round of talks pushed to 2026, the world’s most vulnerable populations may continue to bear the brunt of inaction in the face of an escalating crisis.