Shabana Safdar Khan
Every second, an area equivalent to four football fields of healthy land is lost to degradation, amounting to a staggering 100 million hectares annually. This rapid degradation is not just a concern, it’s a crisis, with far-reaching impacts on the environment, agriculture, and the economy. The loss of healthy land leads to reduced productivity, increased desertification, and threatens the livelihoods of millions worldwide.
Investing in land restoration is not just a solution, it’s a pathway to a better future. Each USD invested in land restoration can yield up to 30 USD in return. This demonstrates the significant economic and environmental benefits that are within our reach. By restoring the health of the land, we can turn the tide of degradation, making it more productive and capable of supporting agriculture and other economic activities. This can lead to long-term benefits for local communities and economies, offering a brighter future for all.
In many countries affected by desertification, land degradation, and drought, agriculture represents a high share of economic revenue. This makes the impact of land degradation even more significant, as it directly affects the livelihoods of farmers and the food security of the population. Addressing land degradation is essential for ensuring sustainable food production and economic stability in these regions.
Under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), over 130 countries have already pledged to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030. This ambitious goal aims to create a world where human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on the land. Achieving LDN requires concerted efforts, including sustainable land management practices, afforestation, and reforestation, as well as the promotion of innovative technologies to rehabilitate degraded land.
Overall, addressing land degradation is crucial for environmental sustainability, food security, and economic development. The pledges made under the UNCCD demonstrate a global commitment to combatting land degradation and promoting the restoration of degraded land for the benefit of present and future generations.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed on June 17th each year, is not just a date on the calendar. It’s a crucial opportunity to draw attention to the pressing environmental issues of desertification and drought. This global platform serves to raise awareness, emphasize the urgency of the situation, and rally stakeholders to take action towards sustainable land management.
Desertification and drought pose severe threats to the environment, agriculture, and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. The degradation of land, often caused by unsustainable human activities and climate change, results in reduced productivity, loss of biodiversity, and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events. By highlighting these challenges, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought provides an opportunity to educate individuals, communities, and policymakers about the far-reaching implications of these environmental issues.
Moreover, the observance of this day plays a crucial role in fostering international cooperation and mobilizing support for initiatives aimed at combating desertification and drought. It encourages countries to share best practices, promote sustainable land management strategies, and collaborate on projects to restore degraded land. Furthermore, the day serves as a reminder of the commitments made under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), urging nations to work towards achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030.
Another important aspect of this day is its focus on the interconnectedness of land stewardship, food security, and economic development. It underscores the essential role of healthy land in sustaining agricultural productivity, ensuring food security, and supporting the livelihoods of communities, especially in regions heavily reliant on land and natural resources. By emphasizing this interconnectedness, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought encourages the integration of sustainable land management into broader development agendas and promotes the well-being of present and future generations.
In addition, the observance of this day facilitates the sharing of knowledge and experiences among diverse stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organizations, local communities, and youth groups. It provides a platform for these stakeholders to exchange ideas, showcase innovative solutions, and advocate for policy measures that promote sustainable land use and resilience to drought. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, the day contributes to building a collective understanding of the challenges posed by desertification and drought and encourages the implementation of effective mitigation and adaptation measures.
Overall, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought serves as a significant milestone in the global effort to address land degradation and promote sustainable land management practices. It elevates the visibility of these critical environmental issues, mobilizes support for action, and underscores the importance of protecting and revitalizing our land resources for the benefit of current and future generations.
The theme “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future” for this year’s Desertification and Drought Day highlights the critical importance of addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought to secure the future of land stewardship. These environmental challenges are becoming increasingly urgent, with up to 40% of all land area worldwide already considered degraded.
Healthy land is essential as it not only provides nearly 95% of our food but also plays a crucial role in clothing, sheltering, and providing livelihoods for people around the world. Additionally, it acts as a vital defense against worsening droughts, floods, and wildfires.
The pressure on land from growing populations and unsustainable production and consumption patterns has resulted in excessive demand for natural resources, leading to land degradation. This, in turn, has contributed to desertification and drought, forcing millions of people to face the risk of displacement.
In many developing countries, over one billion young people under the age of 25 years live in regions directly dependent on land and natural resources for sustenance. Creating job opportunities for rural populations can provide young people access to eco-entrepreneurship opportunities while scaling up best practices, addressing these challenges at the grassroots level.
It’s crucial to recognize that the future of land stewardship is not just a distant concept, it’s a reality that we all have a role in shaping. By uniting our efforts and prioritizing sustainable land management, we can work towards preserving our most precious resource and securing a better future for all. Each of us, from policy makers to individuals, has a part to play in this collective endeavor. Let’s take action now to ensure a sustainable future for our land and our communities.
