Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. 

The 2021 Desertification and Drought Day to be held on 17 June will focus on turning degraded land into healthy land. Restoring degraded land brings economic resilience, creates jobs, raises incomes and increases food security, helps biodiversity to recover, locks away the atmospheric carbon warming the Earth, slowing climate change. It can also lessen the impacts of climate change and underpin a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 3/4 of the Earth’s ice-free land has been altered by humans to meet an ever-growing demand for food, raw materials, highways and homes. Avoiding, slowing and reversing the loss of productive land and natural ecosystems now is both urgent and important for a swift recovery from the pandemic and for guaranteeing the long-term survival of people and the planet.

Current commitments from over 100 countries specify the restoration of almost 1 billion hectares of land over the next decade – an area almost the size of China. If we restore this land, we can deliver massive benefits for people and the planet. (source: un.org)

While governments, institutions, scientists find and implement solutions on a global scale, as individuals we can support their work with an attentive use of resources, which are not infinite. Adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle, use renewables, save water, eat local organic vegan food, reduce, reuse, recycle, ditch plastics!

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