Cloud seeding, early warning, protected area expansion: How Saudi Arabia restored 1 million hectares of degraded land

What Happened

• Saudi Arabia has successfully restored one million hectares of degraded land, achieving one of the largest dryland restoration milestones globally, according to a press statement by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• The restoration combined cloud seeding programmes, early warning systems for sand and dust storms, and expansion of protected areas — a multi-pronged, technology-aided approach
• UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad described the achievement as proof that "restoring land at scale is not only possible but is already happening," citing Saudi Arabia as a model for other water-scarce nations
• Approximately 40% of the global land surface is currently degraded, affecting the livelihoods of 3 billion people (UNCCD data) and undermining food security, water availability, and economic resilience
• The milestone arrives ahead of UNCCD COP17, to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 17–28 August 2026, under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope."
• A 2025 UN-backed report documented the worst droughts of 2023–2025, driven by record temperatures and El Niño, affecting southern Africa, the Amazon, southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and Central America
• A UN policy brief linked major diseases — cholera, malaria, cardiovascular ailments, respiratory conditions, and malnutrition — to droughts and land degradation

Static Topic Bridges

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

The UNCCD is one of three Rio Conventions adopted in 1992 — alongside the UNFCCC (climate change) and CBD (biodiversity). It entered into force in December 1996 and has 197 Parties. The UNCCD is the only legally binding international agreement specifically addressing land degradation and desertification, with a particular focus on dryland regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Its main goal is to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030 — ensuring that the amount of productive land remains stable or increases, not decreases, globally. The UNCCD defines desertification as land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from climatic variations and human activities. COP17 will be held in Mongolia — itself one of the most severely degraded countries, with approximately 77% of its land degraded.

Desertification, Land Degradation, and Dryland Ecosystems

Drylands (arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid zones) cover approximately 41% of Earth's land surface and are home to over 2 billion people. They are among the most fragile ecosystems, characterised by low and erratic rainfall, high evapotranspiration, and soils prone to erosion by wind and water. Globally, 40% of the land surface is already degraded, and land degradation costs an estimated US$490 billion per year in lost ecosystem services. Desertification is a specific form of land degradation occurring in drylands. Causes include overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, water extraction, and climate change. The Bonn Challenge (2011) and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) are the major global frameworks targeting large-scale land restoration.

Cloud Seeding Technology for Water-Scarce Restoration

Cloud seeding is a form of weather modification in which substances (typically silver iodide, potassium iodide, or liquid propane) are dispersed into clouds to promote precipitation by providing nuclei around which water droplets can coalesce. Saudi Arabia has been one of the world's largest practitioners of cloud seeding since the 1970s through the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The technique involves aircraft or ground-based generators delivering seeding agents into cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds. Cloud seeding can increase local precipitation by an estimated 10–30% under suitable conditions, though results are highly variable and dependent on existing atmospheric moisture. India has also conducted cloud seeding operations, most notably in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu for drought relief.

India's Land Degradation and Restoration Commitments

India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. India's desertification and land degradation status: approximately 30% of India's total land area (about 97.85 million hectares) is undergoing degradation, according to the Space Applications Centre (SAC) 2021 report. States most affected include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. India is also a signatory to the UNCCD and has submitted its Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target. The PM-KUSUM scheme (solar pumps, fallow land for solar) and the Green India Mission (under NAPCC) are domestic programmes addressing land use and ecosystem restoration.

Key Facts & Data

• Saudi Arabia restored: 1 million hectares of degraded land
• Global degraded land area: ~40% of total land surface (3 billion people affected)
• UNCCD COP17: 17–28 August 2026, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Theme of COP17: "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope."
• UNCCD Parties: 197; adopted 1994, in force 1996
• Mongolia: ~77% of land degraded (one of the most affected globally)
• LDN target: SDG 15.3, by 2030
• India's restoration pledge: 26 million hectares by 2030
• India's degraded land: ~97.85 million hectares (SAC 2021 estimate)
• Bonn Challenge (2011): global target 350 million ha restored by 2030
• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 2021–2030