Apacheta at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh: Supporting SIDS and Data-Driven Land Management
At the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December 2–13, 2024, Apacheta actively participated in a broad range of events and discussions. With years of experience supporting national land degradation monitoring systems and the use of Earth Observation (EO) data for SDG 15.3.1 reporting, Apacheta’s engagement at COP16 focused on enhancing data-driven decision-making—especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Apacheta’s CEO, Cesar Luis Garcia, contributed to multiple technical sessions and high-level discussions, including side events organized by PISLM, FAO, UNCCD, WOCAT, GEO-LDN, the China Pavilion, and the SIDS Pavilion, reflecting the organization’s cross-cutting work across regions and institutional partners.
A central moment was Apacheta’s participation in the SIDS Forum, held on December 2, which spotlighted the specific challenges SIDS face in tackling land degradation, coastal vulnerability, and data gaps. The forum explored the role of high-resolution EO data and custom decision-support systems in empowering SIDS to meet their reporting obligations and make informed policy decisions. Apacheta presented its ongoing collaboration with the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM) and the use of innovative geospatial tools in the Caribbean through initiatives like CARSIS and CSIDS SOILCARE.
Apacheta also co-led and participated in a number of key technical discussions, including:
SIDS Pavillion: Participated in several workshops and discussions, including the Workshop on the Use of High Resolution Data on Reporting for SIDS,
GEO-LDN: Participating in several events, workshops and training organized by the network to promote synergy among institutions and national teams.
FAO Pavilion: FAO’s Proposed Support to National Reporting to the UNCCD
SIDS Pavilion: Piloting High Resolution Products and Capacity Development for Caribbean SIDS and Beyond
Panel Discussion: Acting on COP Decisions – Advancing High-Resolution Geodata and Facilitating Access to Earth Observation Tools for National LDN Targets. With GEO-LDN, CBAS, JRC, Conservation International.
WOCAT, University of Bern: Particiapated ini several discussion on the Pavillion of WOCAT and joined the The Land Story – Country Experiences with Reporting on Land Degradation and Drought
Side Event presented by the government of Ecuador on Ecoregional Approach for Reporting in collaboration Panama, Apacheta, Conservation international .
China Pavilion: Big Data in Support of Land Degradation Neutrality in collaboration with CBAS
Through all these sessions and others, Apacheta reinforced the message that high-resolution, locally relevant data—combined with capacity development and partnerships—is critical to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality and resilience, especially in ecologically vulnerable and data-scarce contexts.
Apacheta’s growing collaboration with PISLM, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed at COP16, underlines its commitment to building long-term, regionally grounded solutions that serve both policy needs and local realities in SIDS and beyond.
