"The future of land and the future of quality of life is today," said Norah Alyusuf, Chief International Affairs Officer of the Quality of Life Program, during her opening keynote during the COP16 Riyadh side event, Our Land. Our Future. The Health of Land and Quality of Life. "We need to respond to people’s preferences and interests and rethink the way progress is measured."
Highlighting the critical link between land degradation and human well-being, a distinguished panel of experts came together in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 7 December, 2024 to advocate for people-centered approaches to global challenges at the COP16 Riyadh People’s Day Side Event.
This dynamic discussion brought together global experts to address the complexities of sustainable development, land degradation and environmental changes, and the evolving concept of quality of life. From practical solutions to philosophical reflections, the event painted a picture of a future rooted in human-centric and localized approaches.
Eduardo Moreno, a senior advisor for UNDP and the Quality of Life Initiative, moderated a high-level discussion with Alyusuf, as well as Peter de Clercq, Senior Advisor with UNDP, Markus Appenzeller, Chief Technical Advisor with UNDP, and Marija de Wijn, Global Coordinator of the Quality of Life Initiative with UN-Habitat, exploring the ways land and people are interconnected. From combating desertification to fostering social cohesion, the panelists highlighted the necessity of integrating local solutions into global strategies.
The conversation began with a fundamental question: how do land and people influence each other? The answer, panelists agreed, lies in their mutual dependence. Healthy ecosystems are essential for sustaining livelihoods, and human activity significantly shapes these ecosystems.
Quality of life is an ever-changing and deeply personal concept. Markus Appenzeller noted that quality of life cannot be reduced to GDP per capita but must encompass "a multi-threaded, complex amalgamation of different motivations, mobility, and lifestyle — thousands of factors that identify different qualities of life for different people living in different places."
Alyusuf highlighted the twin pillars of quality of life: "Liveability — the hardware — and lifestyle — the software. It’s difficult to improve lifestyle without the infrastructure to support it." This duality demands that interventions consider both immediate needs and long-term aspirations, integrating sustainable development goals (SDGs) and climate action into every step.
Localized Approaches
The event underscored the importance of moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions. Alyusuf emphasized, "Over the last two decades, we have been designing out local contexts and needs and what makes us unique. There's been really a focus on this kind of approach that disregards the complexity and diversity of different contexts and situations without responding to specific needs, preferences, or circumstances of individuals and communities. The panel agreed that localization is in the spotlight — how can we take our global agendas and design interventions at a local level with higher impacts?"
De Clercq addressed the human mobility challenge as a critical quality of life issue, particularly in contexts of displacement and migration. "Human mobility should be seen as a coping mechanism for quality of life following below expectations. When those are not met, people will move… The response is supply-driven — set up to respond, not prevent." He advocated for a risk-informed approach to preemptive action, particularly in fragile and disaster-affected areas.
Social cohesion emerged as a central theme in the event. Alyusuf noted, "Social cohesion refers to the strength on relations and the sense of belonging among the community, encompassing factors like trust, mutual support and shared values with land carrying cultural and historic significance. How are we as people staying connected with one another?" The discussion highlighted the role of urban planning in fostering community interaction and resilience with land and social cohesion playing a crucial role.
Marija de Wijn added, "Quality of life is not just having a job, a house, or green spaces. It’s about the combination and interaction of these aspects in which land and territories play a fundamental role. Urban planning plays a pivotal role in ensuring integration to promote social cohesion."
On governance, Appenzeller proposed a shift towards more inclusive, participatory frameworks. "We’ve been talking a lot about people’s needs, but we also need to include people’s wants… Governance has been defined for a long time as top-down ruling entities. Let’s change that into an open-source system where people engage in the process."
The degradation of land, especially near urban areas, was another critical issue. Moreno noted, "The areas that are degrading faster are closer to urban settlements — and we need to understand this relationship is fundamental and to act upon with a reinvigorated notion of governance."
Participants emphasized the need for mixed-use land planning, rural-urban linkages, and community-driven projects to ensure that rural areas also benefit from urban growth. Appenzeller underscored the value of local intelligence: "I always discover an enormous amount of local intelligence. Mapping solutions and making them accessible in different contexts is key."
One of the most promising developments discussed was the Quality of Life Index. "The Quality of Life Index fine-tunes metrics to respond to human environment interactions, resilience, and adaptation. It’s a tool to help states understand their citizens at subnational and municipal levels,” said Moreno.
De Clercq praised the Index’s approach to incorporate subjective factors: "You cannot do individual solutions for everybody, but there is an effort to understand how good our system is. Have we actually listened to people? Have we come up with fit-for-purpose solutions?"
The panelists stressed patience in measuring impact. "We cannot measure it with the flip of a switch," Moreno said. "We need to understand our theory of change, what we are measuring, and how we are designing for impact with people involved in creative solutions."
The event concluded with a call for collective action. "Different actors, by working together, can respond to more than one challenge at once," Moreno summarized. This holistic approach — balancing prevention, resilience, and localized solutions — offers a path forward for addressing land degradation and improving quality of life worldwide.
The side event offered not just a discussion, but a vision for the future — one where the health of our land and the quality of our lives are inextricably linked. By prioritizing inclusive, localized solutions and redefining how we measure progress, the panelists made a compelling case for hope. As the session ended, their message was clear: the path forward lies in valuing what truly matters — our land, our people, and our shared future.