Riyadh – Iran has expressed its readiness to contribute to improving land degradation monitoring processes in arid regions during the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh from October 8-10, 2024.

 

Representatives from the Islamic Republic of Iran participated in the conference, sharing the country's experiences and expertise in combating desertification.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Iran's National Committee for Combating Desertification and the International Relations Office of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization participated in the meeting online.

Iran highlighted the need for improvements in the methodologies used to assess land degradation in drylands, based on its experiences during the 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 reporting periods.

The country identified certain shortcomings and challenges in the current methodology and expressed its willingness to share its proposed solutions with the UNCCD to enhance the monitoring process.

Iran has been officially invited to the upcoming COP16 meeting, scheduled for December 2-13, 2024, in Riyadh. A delegation from Iran, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Natural Resources Organization, and the Planning and Budget Organization, will participate in the event.