Riyadh: The United Nations has issued a stark warning that global droughts are inflicting financial damages exceeding $300 billion each year, emphasizing the urgent need for investment in nature-based solutions to combat this escalating crisis. This alarming revelation was made in a report launched by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) during the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to Anadolu Agency, the UNCCD report highlighted the necessity for a daily investment of $1 billion from 2025 to 2030 to effectively address desertification, land degradation, and drought. The report further cautioned that drought, primarily driven by human-induced environmental destruction, is poised to impact 75% of the global population, or three out of four people, by 2025. UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw underscored the critical importance of significantly boosting investments in land restoration to safeguard lives and livelihoods. The report advocated for na ture-based solutions as a means to mitigate the drought's effects, recommending strategies such as reforestation, grazing management, and the management, restoration, and conservation of watersheds.