World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Rising from drought together
Droughts are among the greatest threats to sustainable development, especially in developing countries, but increasingly so in developed nations too. Forecasts estimate that by 2050 droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population.

The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the two previous decades (WMO 2023). When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem. More and more of us will be living in areas with extreme water shortages, including an estimated one in four children by 2040 (UNICEF). No country is immune to drought (UN-Water 2023).

Under the theme “Her Land. Her Rights,” the focus of this year's Desertification and Drought Day, marked worldwide on 17 June, is on women's land rights as a key element of achieving the connected global goals of gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030.

What is desertification?
Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts. It occurs because dry land ecosystems, which cover over one-third of the world's land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing, and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land.

No country is immune to drought (UN-Water 2023).

Importance of this day
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on 17 June each year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

The day offers a chance to recognize that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement, and co-operation at all levels.
Best wishes on this day

Suyog Dhakal