Cities and Countryside: A United Front Against Land degradation
Mayors from around the globe gathered at COP16, the UN Climate Change Conference, to highlight the crucial role of urban-rural partnerships in combating desertification, land degradation, and drought.
Engineer Waleed Al-Akrich, Deputy for Projects of the Riyadh Municipality, representing Mayor dr. Faisal Al-Hadlaziz Al-Hayyar, set the tone for the forum, emphasizing the need for “transformative policies, knowledge sharing, and partnerships that transcend borders” to secure a sustainable future.
The forum, moderated by Carlos Correa, former Mayor of Montevideo, showcased innovative solutions from diverse urban centers. Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya and President of UCLG, shared turkey’s success in restoring the dried Meke Lake and advancing water conservation efforts. Noraini Roslan, representing Selangor State, Malaysia, highlighted strategies balancing urbanization wiht sustainability, including mangrove rehabilitation and wetland protection. Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco, illustrated the importance of urban-rural linkages in local reforestation and ecosystem restoration efforts to combat climate change.
…