Results from the 3rd ICID are presented at COP30 in panels at the House of Science.

ICID III reinforces debates on drylands and desertification at COP30.

The results of the 3rd International Conference on Climate and Development in Semi-Arid Regions (ICID III), held in September 2025 in Fortaleza (CE), were presented during the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), in Belém (PA). The theme was the focus of several debates organized at the House of Science, a side event proposed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi.

Throughout the two weeks of the Climate Conference, four panels at the House of Science addressed the theme of drylands directly or indirectly, a central theme of ICID III, allowing debates on drought, desertification, territorial resilience, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities to gain prominence at COP30. These panels were: Drought and Desertification Risks in Latin America; Climate Change and the Resilience of the Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado Biomes; Drylands — Social and Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Brazilian and Latin American Territories, moderated by the Secretary of Science and Technology for Social Development of the MCTI, Inácio Arruda; and “Climate Extremes and Impacts on Water Resources in Brazil”.

The panel discussion held on November 19th, "Drylands — Social and Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Brazilian and Latin American Territories," marked the moment when the president of the Ceará Foundation for Meteorology and Water Resources (Funceme), Eduardo Sávio, officially presented the results of ICID III. The debate revisited findings consolidated in the capital of Ceará, including the recommendations of the Fortaleza Charter and the Caatinga Civil Society Charter, reinforcing the need for local actions, applied science, and public policies for vulnerable territories.

The discussions at ICID III highlighted that the challenges of the Semi-Arid region, such as water scarcity, desertification, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, require integrated, participatory, and evidence-based policies, combining science, financing instruments, appropriate technologies, and the valorization of local knowledge. These findings were incorporated into the roundtables held at the House of Science, reinforcing the importance of the theme "drylands and desertification" on the global agenda of COP30.

In addition to bringing the topic to various debates at the conference, the ICID III organization also fulfilled its initial role of providing scientific and technical support to ensure robust participation from national delegates from countries with dry regions during the conference.