Planet loses 24 billion tons of fertile soil every year
In addition to reducing GDP, scarcity of water and fertile land is expected to displace around 135 million people by 2045
Image: Dylan from Jonge on Unsplash
In a video message released for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, celebrated this Monday (17), the UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned that the world annually loses 24 billion tons of fertile land .
In addition, soil quality degradation is responsible for a reduction in gross domestic product (GDP) of up to 8% per year.
“Desertification, land degradation and drought are major threats that affect millions of people around the world” – warned Guterres – “particularly women and children”. He said it was time to "urgently" change these trends, adding that protecting and restoring the land could "reduce forced migration, improve food security and spur economic growth" as well as help resolve the "global climate emergency".
The date, which seeks to raise awareness of international efforts to combat desertification, was established 25 years ago with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the only binding international agreement on the environment, development and sustainable management from the earth.
Under the motto “Let's make the future grow together,” this year's World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought focuses on three key land-related issues: drought, human security and climate.
By 2025, informs the UN, two-thirds of the world will be living in conditions of water scarcity – with demand outstripping supply in certain periods – with 1.8 billion people suffering absolute water shortages, where the natural water resources of a region are inadequate to meet demand.
Migration is expected to increase as a result of desertification, with the UN estimating that by 2045 it will be responsible for the displacement of an estimated 135 million people.
Restoring soil from degraded land, however, can be an important weapon in the fight against the climate crisis. With the land use sector representing nearly 25% of total global emissions, restoration of degraded land has the potential to store up to 3 million tonnes of carbon annually.
The importance of ensuring that the land is well managed is seen in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which states 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 current and future generations.”
Goal 15 declares the international community's determination to halt and reverse land degradation. Find out more by clicking here.
UNESCO warns of global desertification crisis
Also on the occasion of the World Day, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay, denounced that the planet is experiencing “a global crisis of desertification, which affects more than 165 countries”.
“Desertification and drought increase water scarcity at a time when 2 billion people still do not have access to safe drinking water – and more than 3 billion could face a similar situation by 2050”, warned the top authority of the UN agency.
According to the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, by 2030, 135 million people are expected to migrate worldwide as a result of land deterioration.
"These migrations and deprivations are, in turn, a source of conflict and instability, demonstrating that desertification is a fundamental challenge for peace," said Audrey, who also stated that the desertification crisis has dramatic consequences for the environmental heritage of humanity and for sustainable development.
The leader recalled that UNESCO has supported its Member States in water governance and in dealing with droughts, improving the capacities of actors involved in water management and consolidating political guidelines on the subject.
Among the activities supported by the international organization are the monitoring of droughts and the establishment of early warning systems for populations in Africa. UNESCO also participates in the development of atlases and observatories to determine the frequency and exposure to droughts. The agency is also working on assessing socioeconomic vulnerabilities and designing drought indicators for policy-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.
