All that happened at UNCCD COP14

Subject: Environment

Section: International conventions

UNCCD COP14 throws up innovative methods to fund drought mitigation

The commercialisation of basic livelihood and services such as water supply and sanitation would generate sufficient funds to mitigate drought.
The experts batted for the engagement of the private sector to get funds for drought.
A successful insurance model from Africa for innovative financing to tackle drought is the Africa Risk Capacity (ARC).
- Established in 2012 as a body of the Africa Union, its aim is to improve member countries’ prepared- redness for tackling extreme weather events and natural disasters.
An interactive ‘drought toolbox’ was launched to monitor early drought warnings and methods of mitigation.

Public-private partnerships can help restore degraded lands

Business leaders were keen to collaborate with the public sector and the civil society to on land degradation projects. They called for encouraging public-private partnerships to restore degraded lands at the 14th Conference of Parties (CoP 14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Experts stress restoring Sahel region by 2030

Partners of the African-led Great Green Wall Initiative have agreed to bold targets to restore 100 million hectares of land and create 10 million green jobs by 2030 across the Sahel.
The Great Green Wall Initiative, launch in 2007 by African Union, is a flagship programme that aims to combat climate change and desertification. It has made major progress in restoring Sahara-Sahel landscapes.
They also called to focus on land degradation. Nearly 65 per cent of land in the African continent is under degradation and requires immediate attentions, they said.
The initiative aims to achieve:
- Large-scale landscape restoration
- Creation of 10 million green jobs
- Promotion of clean energy by 2030

Land utility as solar park:

Generating Solar power needs the most amount of land among green energy sources, claimed Global Land Outlook, a report released by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
India showcased the biggest solar power plant as a model to deal with land degradation while meeting energy requirements.
- The Pavagada power plant of Karnataka is billed as the world’s largest solar park spread over 13,000 acres of land.
- The 2000 MW solar park is spread across five villages — Thirumani, Rayacherlu, Vallur, Balasamudra and Kyataganacherlu in Nagalamadike Hobli of Pavagada Taluk in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district.
- The arid region with fallow land was not irrigated and a drought-like situation prevailed continuously.