Saudi Arabia welcomes intervention on critical environmental issue ahead of UNCCD COP16
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BRICS leaders have issued a joint statement calling for increased financial resources and stronger partnerships to address land degradation, desertification and drought ahead of a major UN environment conference in Saudi Arabia in December.
The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates emphasised that these environmental challenges "are posing serious threats to the well-being and livelihoods of people and the environment." While acknowledging ongoing efforts in sustainable land management, they stressed the need for "integrated policies" to tackle these interconnected issues.
The statement comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the sixteenth session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Riyadh from December 2-13, amid growing global concern over land degradation that already affects 40 percent of the planet and impacts 3.2 billion people, according to UNCCD data.
"Saudi Arabia welcomes the BRICS leaders' statement on the critical issue of land degradation as it reflects the increasing urgency to slow and ultimately reverse the trend of degrading land worldwide," said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the COP16 Presidency.
He added: "At COP16 in Riyadh, we will work to forge new partnerships that can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience efforts, particularly in vulnerable regions. Land degradation, drought and desertification impact almost every corner on the planet, exacerbating forced migration and worsening global food and water insecurity. It is imperative the international community address the root causes of these issues at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh."
The conference is expected to be the largest UNCCD COP to date and will feature the first-ever Green Zone, creating a dedicated platform for collaboration and innovation, aiming to increase the role of the private sector in land restoration.
It comes as the UNCCD targets the restoration of 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. According to the UNCCD, every dollar invested in land restoration can yield up to $30 in economic returns.
For more information: visit UNCCDCOP16.org.
For media accreditation: visit the UNCCD Online Registration System.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
BRICS Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Land Degradation Ahead of UN Land Degradation and Drought COP in Riyadh
BEIJING, Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amgen Scholars Program (ASP) is an international program funded by the Amgen Foundation with the direction of Harvard University, aiming to increase research opportunities for students committed to pursuing careers in the field of biomedical science. Through the 8- or 10-weeks summer program, outstanding undergraduates from across the globe can undertake research projects under the instruction of world-class faculty, get involved in cutting-edge seminars and networking events, and take part in a symposium as representatives in their respective regions. From 2025-2027, there are (will be) 25 premier educational and research institutions across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada which can host the Amgen summer program. In Asia, there are 4 institutions, which are Tsinghua University, National University of Singapore, University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.
10 excellent candidates studying in Asia will be selected for the coming program in 2025, whose part of meal allowance, student apartment or on-campus hotel are covered, and stipends and transport support will be offered. Each scholar will be assigned to a faculty member as his/her mentor during the research program. In addition, the scholar will have the opportunity to participate in lab and take part in a series of academic activities with postdocs, technicians or graduate students. These valuable experiences will stimulate scholars' research interests and enhance their research ability, thus providing a stable foundation for their further study. Furthermore, we will organize other extra-curricular activities, such as networking events and culture exploration, to enable scholars to make acquaintance with new friends and learn more about Chinese culture. Our program turned out to be a meaningful and salutary one, as all scholars who participated in our program from 2019 to 2024 claimed that they benefited from it profoundly and created unforgettable memories together.
In recent years, Tsinghua University actively sought to cultivate diversified talents and facilitate international collaborations and has made significant progress in innovation-driven talent development. Tsinghua's main correspondent collaborator for the ASP is the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS), which has played an important role in the university's life sciences development and frontier biomedical research. Tsinghua University will continue to provide an excellent program upon the success of previous programs with the Amgen Foundation.
For more information, please click:
http://tsinghuaamgenscholars.com/amgenscholars.html#
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Call for Application for 2025 Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program
