2024 UN Desertification Conference (COP16)

What is the Science, Technology and Innovation Day?

Science, Technology, and Innovation Day at UNCCD COP16 focuses on advancing scientific and technological solutions to support land health and resilient communities. With land degradation escalating, it aims to bridge science and policy by engaging diverse stakeholders — research institutions, data providers, tech developers and civil society — to drive ambitious, science-based action for sustainable land management.

This thematic day will feature high-level dialogues and interactive sessions, including the launch of the International Science, Technology and Innovation Forum. Through these events, the Day seeks to promote innovations that address land degradation and enhance drought resilience.

Thematic Focus

1. Scaling up science for land and drought: Highlights critical gaps in land and drought science and explores investment needs for advancing sustainable land management, featuring the dialogue Healing Our Land through Science and Earth Intelligence
2. Empowering young scientists: Engages emerging researchers in discussions on land restoration, climate resilience and policy innovation through the Re-Generation Young Scientists Dialogue
3. Showcasing Earth intelligence solutions: The Science and Innovation Hub will feature user-driven Earth intelligence tools for addressing land degradation, with a focus on innovative finance to advance these applications

Objectives

• Raise ambition for science and innovation: Promote the role of science, technology, and innovation in enhancing land and drought resilience
• Support emerging scientists: Encourage a new generation of researchers in land resilience, fostering intergenerational collaboration
• Integrate Earth intelligence: Emphasize Earth intelligence as a tool for sustainable land management and drought resilience

The Green Zone will also host a Science-Policy Interface Day, dedicated to fostering dialogue among scientists, policymakers and practitioners on addressing desertification, land degradation and drought with particular focus on historical and future aridity trends and sustainable land use systems.

By fostering collaboration and innovation, Science Day at UNCCD COP16 aims to accelerate progress in land restoration and resilience building worldwide.

Related Events

As part of the Science, Technology and Innovation Day, GEO GEO, GEO-LDN and the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), are jointly co-hosting a High-Level Interactive Dialogue featuring ministers and other senior government representatives and experts.

GEO will also host a side event on the Global Ecosystems Atlas, building on the success of the premiere unveiling last month at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. The Global Ecosystems Atlas initiative will be presented with a focus on hyper-arid regions. a cutting-edge open-access solution created to assist countries in aligning their monitoring and reporting across UNCCD, CBD, and UNFCCC, while also supporting a range of other applications.