What is Desertification & Drought Day?

Desertification and Drought Day was officially declared by the UN assembly as “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought”. The objectives of Desertification and Drought Day are:

• To promote public awareness of the issue.
• To let people know that desertification and drought can be effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, and that key tools to this aim lay in strengthened community participation and cooperation at all levels.
• To strengthen implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in countries experiencing serious drought and or desertification.

Desertification And the Sustainable Development Goals:

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declares that “we are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations. Specifically, SDG Goal 15: Life on Land states the resolve of the United Nations and the SDG signatory nations to halt and reverse land degradation.

Why do we observe Desertification & Drought Day?

How does desertification affect you? No matter where you live, the consequences of desertification and drought concern you. Globally, 23% of the land is no longer productive. 75% has been transformed from its natural state, mostly for agriculture. This transformation in land use is happening at a faster rate than at any other time in human history and has accelerated over the last 50 years. Scientists say the evolution from one state to the next is so rapid, the process is only observable over very short periods. Everyone needs to know that desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) have direct effect on their daily lives, and that everyone’s daily actions can either contribute to, or help fight DLDD.

“Our Future spotlights the future of land stewardship- our most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the World. 

The future of our life is at stake. Desertification, land degradation, and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with up to 40% of all land area worldwide already considered degraded.

Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food but so much more: it clothes and shelters us, provides jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from the worsening droughts, floods and wildfires. Yet, every second, an equivalent of four football fields of healthy and becomes degraded, adding up to a total of 100 million hectares every year.

Growing word populations, coupled with unsustainable production & consumption patterns, fuel demand of natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation. Desertification and drought are driving force mitigation, putting tens of millions of people each year at risk of displacement.

Main Causes of Desertification:

There are two types of causes that result in desertification: naturally occurring and human- driven causes.

Natural Causes of desertification:

These are indeed natural factors that contribute to desertification. We cannot directly control these factors, but we can proactively address them by strategically planting more trees around agricultural and waterfront areas. The following are natural factors that contribute to desertification:

• Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can result in decreased rainfall and extremely hot weather, leading to soil degradation and desertification.
• Drought can lead to soil erosion and loss of vegetation cover, making it difficult for plants and animals to survive in the affected area.
• Soil erosion by wind and water can result in the loss of topsoil, which is crucial for plants’ growth and can lead to soil degradation.

Human Causes of desertification:

Human activities are the primary drivers of desertification, with natural causes exacerbating the problem. Addressing the root causes of desertification will require reforestation and afforestation, sustainable land use practices, such as agroforestry and sustainable grazing, and addressing the underlying economic, political, and social factors that drive unsustainable land- use practices. The following are the activities that cause desertification:

• Overgrazing by livestock can result in the removal of vegetation cover, leading to soil erosion and desertification.
• Deforestation, the removal of trees and other vegetation, can lead to soil erosion and desertification.
• Unsustainable agricultural practices such as monoculture and the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can degrade soil quality and contribute to desertification.
• Land-use change and the conversion of natural land cover, such as forests or grasslands, to other uses, such as urban development or mining, can lead to soil degradation and desertification.
• Population growth & urbanization can increase the demand for food, water and resources, leading to unsustainable land-use practices and desertification.

Impact of Desertification:

Desertification caused by mostly human activities, such as deforestation and urbanization, further causes environmental, social and economic changes that lead to more issues in future. Let’s review the effects of desertification as it relates to economic and environmental stability and the livelihoods of local communities.

Environmental effects of desertification:

• Loss of vegetation cover: Desertification can lead to loss of vegetation cover, resulting in soil erosion and the degradation of soil quality.
• Soil degradation: Desertification can result in the degradation of soil quality, making it difficult for plants and animals to survive in the affected area.
• Reduced biodiversity: Desertification can lead to a reduction in biodiversity as species are unable to adapt to the changing conditions.
• Increased vulnerability to changes in weather patterns: Areas affected by desertification are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather pattern changes, such as increased drought and decreased rainfall.

Economic effects of desertification:

• Loss of agricultural productivity: Desertification can lead to a loss of agricultural productivity, making it difficult for farmers to grow crops and raise livestock.
• Decreased water availability: Desertification can decrease water availability, making it difficult for communities to access clean water for drinking and irrigation.
• Loss of livelihoods: Desertification can result in the loss of livelihoods for communities that depend on natural resources for their survival, such as farmers and pastoralists.
• Increased poverty: Desertification can lead to increased poverty as communities struggle to adapt to changing environmental conditions and the loss of natural resources.

Overall, desertification has significant environmental, economic and social impacts, particularly in developing countries where communities depend heavily on natural resources for survival. Addressing the root causes of desertification and promoting sustainable land-use practices is essential for mitigating these impacts and building resilience in affected communities.

Seven Ways to Combat Desertification & Drought

1. Make Agriculture Sustainable: Globally at least 2 billion people, particularly from rural and poorer areas, depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, our current food systems are unsustainable and a prime driver of land degradation. There is a lot we can do to fix this. Governments and the finance sector can promote regenerative agriculture to increase food production while preserving ecosystems.
2. Save the soil: Soil is more than just the dirt under our feet. If the planet’s most biodiverse habitat. Almost 60 percent of all species live in soil and 95 percent of the food we eat is produced from it. Healthy soil acts as a carbon sink, locking in greenhouse gases that would otherwise enter the atmosphere, playing a pivotal role in climate mitigation. To keep soil healthy and productive, governments and the finance sector can support organic and soil- friendly farming.
3. Protect the pollinators: Three out of four crops producing fruit and seeds depend on pollinators. Bees are the most prolific pollinators, but they get a lot of help from bats, insects, butterflies, birds and beetles. In fact, without bats, we can say goodbye to bananas, avocados and mangoes. Despite their importance, all pollinators are in serious decline, bees especially.
4. Restore freshwater ecosystems: Freshwater ecosystems sustain the water cycles that keep land fertile. They supply food and water to billions of people, protect us from droughts and floods, and provide a habitat for countless plants and animals. Yet they are disappearing at an alarming rate due to pollution, climate change, overfishing and over-extraction.
5. Renew coastal and marine areas: Oceans and seas provide humanity with oxygen, food and water, while mitigating climate change and helping communities adapt to extreme weather. More than 3 billion people, primarily developing nations, rely on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.
6. Bring nature back to cities: More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, it is projected that two in three people will live in an urban center. Cities consume 75 percent of the planet’s resources, produce more than half of its global waste and generate at least 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. As cities grow, they transform the natural world around them, potentially leading to droughts and land degradation.
7. Generate financing for Restoration: Investments in nature-based solutions need to more than double by 2030 to meet the world’s climate, biodiversity and ecosystem restoration goals. To close the existing finance gap, governments could invest in early warning systems to prevent the worst impact of drought, as well as fund land restoration activities and nature- based solutions. The private sector could integrate ecosystem restoration into their business models, implement efficient waste management practices and invest in social enterprises focused on sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism and green technology.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, desertification is a pressing global issue that affects not only the regions directly impacted but also the wider world through its negative impacts on food security, economic stability, and biodiversity. We must recognize our collective responsibility to combat desertification and work together to implement sustainable solutions at local, national, and global levels.

By promoting sustainable land- use practices, supporting reforestation and afforestation efforts, and developing policies and programs to address desertification, we can ensure a more secure and prosperous future for all. So let us act today to protect our planet for generations to come.