For a world without land degradation

“United for Land: Our Heritage. Our Future” is the theme chosen by the United Nations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the International Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17, 1994 - June 17, 2024) to emphasize the special importance of collective action to conserve land resources.

Urgent challenge

Desertification, land degradation and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. According to the latest United Nations figures, every second, the equivalent of four football fields of healthy land is lost to degradation, and every year, 100 million hectares of land are degraded.

“Up to 40% of the world ’s land has been degraded, affecting nearly half of humanity. Yet solutions are on the table. It is time to unite for land and raise awareness of the global situation of land loss and degradation,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Severe drought in Africa. Photo: Ecogreen News

Growing populations and unsustainable production and consumption patterns are driving up demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land and leading to land degradation. Desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people at risk of displacement each year. Climate change is exacerbating these problems, posing significant challenges to sustainable land management and agriculture , and undermining ecosystem resilience.

According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this recession affects 3.2 billion people worldwide, especially rural communities and smallholder farmers who depend on the land for their livelihoods, leading to increased hunger, poverty, unemployment and forced migration.

Sustainable Management

To halt and reverse these alarming trends and meet global commitments to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, it is necessary to create jobs for rural people, help young people access eco-business opportunities, and scale up the most advanced methods.

Of the world's 8 billion people, more than one billion young people under 25 years of age live in developing countries, especially in areas that are directly dependent on land and natural resources for their livelihoods.

This is also why the theme chosen this year focuses on mobilizing all sectors of society to support sustainable land management, working together to ensure future generations have access to vital natural resources. Sustainable management of land and water resources is essential to increase food production, conserve ecosystems, improve soil and water quality, and increase the resilience of rural communities to extreme weather events.

According to FAO, efforts to restore and enhance ecosystem resilience should give priority to women and youth, who play a key role in protecting soil health and are disproportionately affected by soil degradation. This principle also ensures that soil restoration is science-based and people-centered, working towards a land degradation-free world for present and future generations.

Synthesized HAPPY CHI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/vi-mot-the-gioi-khong-suy-thoai-dat-post744910.html