World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought- 17 June

 

Increasing global awareness of desertification.

 

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on June 17th. The goal is to increase global knowledge of desertification and drought, as well as solutions for preventing desertification and recovering from drought. The United Nations General Assembly declared this day on 30 January 1995, when the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was drafted, in resolution A/RES/49/115.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an important part of the global effort to end poverty, achieve sustainable development, and meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

Convention to Combat Desertification

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was adopted on June 17, 1994. States were encouraged to use World Day to raise awareness about the need for international cooperation in combating desertification and the effects of drought, as well as the implementation of the Desertification Convention. Its goal is to improve human well-being by promoting community and ecosystem resilience, particularly in dry environments. The United Nations Decade for Deserts and Desertification has been declared (UNDDD) from 2010 to 2020. (UNDDD).

Why do we commemorate World Day against Desertification and Drought?

What impact does desertification have on you? Desertification and drought are an issue for everyone, no matter where they reside. Around the world, 23% of the land is no longer productive. 75% of the land has been altered from its original state, primarily for agricultural purposes. Because the process is so fast, it can only be observed for very short periods. Everyone should be aware that desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD) have a direct impact on their everyday life, and that their everyday actions can either contribute to or aid in the battle against DLDD.

The theme for this Year

The theme of the 2021 Desertification and Drought Day, is transforming degraded land into healthy land. Restoring damaged land improves economic resilience, job creation, income, and food security. It aids in the recovery of biodiversity. It traps the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, reducing climate change. It also has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change and support a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Humans have altered nearly three-quarters of the Earth's ice-free area to suit an ever-increasing demand for food, raw materials, roadways, and dwellings. Avoiding, delaying, and reversing the loss of fertile land and natural ecosystems is critical for a quick recovery from the epidemic and for people's and the planet's long-term existence. Over 100 countries have committed to restoring about 1 billion hectares of land over the next ten years, an area nearly the size of China. 5 If we restore this land, we will be able to provide enormous benefits to both people and the environment. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions rise and biodiversity declines. It also means fewer wild spaces to protect us from zoonoses like COVID-19 and extreme weather events like droughts, floods, and sand and dust storms.

Desertification and groundwater

Groundwater resource management helps to lessen the risk of desertification to some extent. Land use management, on the other hand, maybe more essential in this regard. Overgrazing is a major source of erosion and desertification globally, and some farming methods can enhance the risk of desertification and erosion. Desertification is also exacerbated by deforestation. 

 

 Several factors influence both desertification and drought resistance, such as changes in groundwater recharge. Desertification can be accelerated by overgrazing, urbanization, and deforestation, all of which affect the amount of rainwater soaking into the ground, resulting in the greater runoff. Because there is less water in the soil, there is less water available for vegetation, increasing the danger of desertification.

When the land cries out for assistance?

The degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid environments is known as desertification. Human activity and climatic fluctuations are the primary causes. The growth of existing deserts is not referred to as desertification. Dry land ecosystems, which occupy more than a third of the world's land surface, are especially vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate management.

 

Poverty, political unrest, deforestation, overgrazing, and poor irrigation practices can all wreak havoc on the land's productivity.

 

Every year, the World Day to Battle Desertification and Drought is commemorated to raise public awareness of global efforts to combat desertification. The day serves as a special reminder to everyone that land degradation neutrality may be achieved by problem-solving, strong community involvement, and cross-level cooperation.

 

The situation now needs much greater attention. Natural areas decline and shift when the land declines and ceases to be productive.

Facts

• The land still provides 99 percent of the calories that every human being requires to live a healthy life.
• The next few decades will be crucial in terms of rehabilitating land for a long-term future.
• Because the problem is man-made, humans must also be part of the solution.
• It is everyone's responsibility to manage the land sustainably. We can restore the productivity of over 2 billion hectares of degraded land and enhance the lives of over 1.3 billion people around the world if we work together.
• A decade of land deterioration could result in irrevocable damage, but a decade of land restoration might result in various advantages.

Conclusion

Desertification is the degradation of dry land ecosystems over time. It has an impact on the lives of millions of people. Dry lands, which cover 41% of the Earth's surface area, housed a third of the world's people. A large amount of the world's dry lands has already been degraded, and continuous desertification poses a threat to the world's poorest people and obstructs poverty reduction efforts. As a result, desertification is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our day. It is a serious impediment to providing fundamental human needs in dry lands, resulting in human well-being losses. Over 100 countries have made commitments to restore about 1 billion hectares of land over the next ten years. If we restore this land, we will be able to provide enormous benefits to both people and the environment. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced a variety of activities and materials to commemorate the Day and raise awareness of our responsibilities and assist us in achieving our goals.

By: Aqsa Muhammadi