As part of the country's presidency of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Riyadh, the award known as the Young Researchers Award will be launched at the COP16 Science Pavilion. The said 'co-prize fund' amounts to $70,000 which will be given for this high-profile competition whereby innovative research and solution forms to combat issues on land degradation, drought, and desertification have been called for. Students and other emerging researchers around the globe are welcome in this award which accelerates progress toward important environmental challenges.
A total of seven awards of $10,000 each will be given to early-career researchers (up to age 35) who can demonstrate impactful contributions to key areas including sustainable land management, drought resilience, and land restoration. The seven award categories are land restoration, sustainable agri-food systems, equitable land governance, community and youth engagement, science, technology and innovation, resilience and climate adaptation, and finance and sustainable land investments.
The awards will be presented at a high-profile event during UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh. Nominees will be flown to Saudi Arabia and provided five days of accommodation. Winners will also be given a unique opportunity to be mentored by leading experts.
“Land degradation, drought and desertification are leading causes of many of the issues impacting people around the world, be it food insecurity, water insecurity or forced migration. COP16 in Riyadh is an opportunity to find urgent solutions, and help turn the tide on these global crises,” said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency.
The awards seek to accelerate research, innovation and technology that can help tackle land degradation, drought and desertification, and enhance global land restoration and drought resilience efforts.
The international competition encourages applicants to demonstrate innovative approaches, long-term sustainability and scalability, and focus on how their work can benefit the Middle East. Submissions are open until November 22nd and will be evaluated by a dedicated scientific committee that includes leading experts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The awards come as Saudi Arabia seeks to accelerate global action on desertification, land degradation, and drought, which affect 3.2 billion people worldwide. With 40% of land already degraded according to the UNCDD, Saudi Arabia’s incoming UNCCD Presidency is seeking to mobilize the international community at COP16 in Riyadh to deliver multilateral action on a range of pressing issues, including land restoration and drought resilience.
Part of the dynamic program at the COP16 Science Pavilion is the dynamic program-an interactive central space that brings innovative research to center stage and encourages collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the area. This pavilion is one of the main highlights at the first-ever Green Zone at a UNCCD COP event.
