Desertification and drought day 2024: A call for global land stewardship

On June 17, 2024, the world will observe Desertification and Drought Day, marking the 30th anniversary of the Bonn-based United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This year’s theme, “United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future.”, emphasizes the critical need for sustainable land stewardship to combat the alarming rate of land degradation. Every year, 100 million hectares of land become degraded – the equivalent of four football fields every second.

The UNCCD’s Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Thiaw, highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that up to 40% of the world’s land is already degraded, impacting nearly half of humanity.

The day aims to engage both current and future generations in reversing these trends and achieving the global goal of restoring 1 billion hectares of land by 2030. Thiaw emphasized that land restoration is not only crucial for combating poverty but also for building resilience against climate change, urging global unity in showing a “red card” to land loss and degradation.

To learn more, visit the official website.