The UN conference on desertification kicked off in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, on Monday. Experts are warning of the serious consequences of deforestation and intensive agriculture for the planet.

According to a RFIUntil December 13, Riyadh is hosting the sixteenth edition of this forum, with António Guterres, UN Secretary General, calling this a "decisive moment" in the fight against drought and the advance of deserts.

It is estimated that 40% of cultivated land would be degraded, which would affect half of humanity.

Global security is at stake, "not just in Africa and the Middle East," said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, at the opening of the proceedings.

By the end of the decade, 1.5 billion hectares of land will need to be restored, a huge challenge on a global scale.

And this is according to a new scientific report that points the finger at the burden that agriculture represents for the planet.

Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil exporter, although criticized for the carbon dioxide emissions generated by its economy, is extremely vulnerable to desertification, which could give it greater credibility in the negotiations at this conference of the parties.

(Photo DR)