Hyderabad: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 every year around the globe. This day sheds light on the efforts of turning degraded soil into healthy soil, finding solutions to combat desertification and ensuring the restoration of degraded land to increase food fertility.
Desertification was identified as one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The UN General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in the year 1994. This legally binding international agreement links environment and development to sustainable land management. In addition to the UNCCD, the UN declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
This day holds special significance because according to the United Nations, 1.8 billion people will face water scarcity by 2025, and half of the people on earth will face a crisis. About 135 million people could be displaced by dehydration by the year 2045. The UNCCD Secretariat, member states of the Convention and its stakeholders seek to educate people about effective methods without degrading land. Invested organizations observe the day by organizing outreach and awareness programs.
In the year 2023, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being observed around the theme “Her Land. Her Rights", which focuses on women's land rights as a critical component to achieving the global goal of gender equality and land degradation neutrality by the year 2030 across the globe. Environmentalists and conservationists educate people about ways to fight desertification and drought:
- Learn ways to protect the soil on your land.
- Plant at least one tree on your property.
- Educate yourself about the benefits of seed banks.
- Watch videos and read articles about deserts and their impact on our planet.
