As global policymakers gather to advance global efforts against land degradation and drought, the Caribbean small island developing state of Grenada has put forward a bold, targeted call for inclusive governance and capacity-building frameworks to leverage digitalization and artificial intelligence for sustainable land management.
Speaking on behalf of the Grenadian delegation during the Committee on Science and Technology discussions at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Darron Williams, an agronomist with Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry who is currently advancing specialized studies in soil and land management at the University of the West Indies, outlined the transformative potential of emerging digital tools. Williams stressed that well-deployed AI and digital platforms have the unique capacity to speed up cross-border knowledge sharing and equitable technology transfer, two critical pillars for expanding global action to protect healthy ecosystems and reverse the decline of damaged land and soil resources.
Grenada’s delegation expressed clear support for the ongoing work of the UNCCD Committee on Science and Technology to develop standardized tools for knowledge and technology dissemination, but also emphasized a core principle: the far-reaching benefits of these cutting-edge technologies must be extended to every nation, regardless of size or economic standing. The official statement warned that systemic gaps — including limited broadband connectivity, incomplete environmental datasets, underfunded digital infrastructure, constrained local technical expertise, and prohibitive costs for accessing new tools — risk deepening already stark global inequalities if left unaddressed.
Centering the unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in its argument, Grenada underlined that targeted investment is urgently needed to strengthen national data ecosystems, update data governance structures, and build regulatory frameworks that enable responsible AI deployment for land action. The delegation called for expanded international support for targeted capacity-building initiatives, designed to help local stakeholders better understand the interconnected roles of AI, open data, and digital transformation in advancing land sustainability goals.
Grenada further laid out key criteria that fit-for-purpose environmental technologies must meet: they must be low-cost, widely accessible, easy to maintain at the local level, and adaptable to unique national and regional contexts. This includes prioritizing open-source solutions and low-bandwidth tools that can function effectively in areas with limited digital infrastructure, the statement noted.
In addition to expanding access and building capacity, the Grenadian delegation pushed for clear binding safeguards to govern AI and digital tool use in this sector. These safeguards include protections for national data sovereignty, mandatory requirements for transparency and accountability in algorithmic development and deployment, strict adherence to global ethical standards, and guaranteed meaningful human oversight over all automated decision-making processes related to land management.
Closing its address, Grenada reaffirmed its core position: technological innovation must ultimately serve the shared interests of all people and the global environment, rather than narrow private or national interests. Within the mandate of the UNCCD, the delegation added, AI and digitalization must contribute directly to three core global goals: more equitable and effective sustainable land management, large-scale restoration of degraded land ecosystems, and strengthened drought resilience for vulnerable communities around the world.