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The UN General Assembly officially declared the desertification and drought day as “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought”. This day, as the name suggests, signifies raising awareness and public support in the community, to carry out ways of cooperation and attempts to combat desertification and drought across the world. Hence, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated on 17 June every year.
Established in 1944, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD), links environment and evolution to sustainable land management. Costa Rica is chosen this year as the host of the global observance. This year, the UNCCD will work with the Ministry of Environment(MINAE) of Costa Rica to uplift the household, community and the countries to have a better bonding with nature as we relapse from the pandemic. Therefore, let us dig deeper and understand the importance behind the existence of this day.
What is Desertification?
Desertification is an environmental issue that is expanding alarmingly. Desertification is the continuous land degradation in drylands that tampers the normal balance of the ecosystem and biological productivity due to climatic variations or by human activities, by means of which fertile land becomes completely barren. Except for Antarctica, desertification occurs on all continents, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people, especially a large population of the poor living on drylands. The U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) defines it as “land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.”
Causes and Effects of Desertification
Climatic variations and human activities can be regarded as the two main causes of desertification. In short, the other factors that contribute to the causes of desertification are as follows.
- Urbanization
- Overgrazing
- Climate change
- Deforestation
- Overuse of groundwater
- Natural disaster
- Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides
- Mining
- Farming practices
- Soil pollution
- Stripping the land of resources
The effect of desertification is a vicious circle. Desertification affects the human race to a submissively large extent. To clarify, mentioned below are some of the effects of desertification.
- Shortage of food
- Decrease in crop yields
- Flooding
- Farming becomes impossible
- Crowding and overpopulation
- Migration
- Destruction of habitat
- Extinction and endangerment of species
- Biodiversity loss
- Poor water quality
Solutions to Desertification
Although the world is facing the challenge of desertification, there are solutions, if implemented well, will reduce the effects of desertification. Delve into the solutions below for a clear understanding.
- Smart farming techniques
- Reforestation
- Education
- Advancement in technology
- Restricting mining practices
- Reinforcing rehabilitation efforts
There are also some strategies to reduce the impact of desertification. Prevention of desertification is better than rehabilitation.
- Plant more trees- The roots of the trees helps in holding the soil which in turn will prevent soil erosion.
- Water management- Storing water in earth dams during the wet season can help in utilizing it for irrigation during the dry season. Using technologies like the drip irrigation method and the magic stones method are examples of water management in the desert environment.
- Improving the quality of the soil- By reducing the number of grazing animals and growing crops instead, the quality of the soil can be improved. And animal manure can be used to fertilize the crops which in turn will grow well. Growing crops in this way can improve the quality of the soil as it is held together by the roots of plants and protected from erosion. This is a sustainable type of farming.
Why Do We Observe Desertification and Drought Day?
How does desertification affect us? No matter where we live, the consequences of desertification and drought is a global concern, although. 23 per cent of the world’s land is no longer productive. 75 per cent has been transformed from its natural state, for agriculture purpose. As a result, this transformation in the usage of land is happening at a much faster rate in human history. This usage of land has accelerated over the last five decades. In the end, everyone needs to know that desertification, land degradation and drought have a direct effect on their daily lives and that everyone’s daily actions can contribute to help fight these problems.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2023: Theme
The motto of this international day is “healthy land = healthy people.” And, the theme for this year is “Her Land. Her Rights,” In 2023, the day is celebrated with the theme of “Food. Feed.”
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought Quotes
- Don’t let our future dry up. Conserve water and save the planet from droughts. Wish you a very happy World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
- Put your Greenheart at work on 17th June and save the environment. Happy World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
- Put your Greenheart at work on 17th June and save the environment. Happy World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
- Join the fight, Conserve Land and Energy and secure our common future by preventing desertification and droughts. Best wishes on World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
- “Our land, our home, our future.” Save it and work towards securing our future. Wish you a happy World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
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Kiss the Ground
The future of the whole world is at stake and we have a huge role to play. Above all, people exploit nature’s land for fulfilling their never-ending selfish needs. Therefore, on this day, the organizations hold meetings and conduct workshops to create awareness and highlight the suggestions to overcome such human activities.
In conclusion, the ultimate goal this year is to recover from the insinuations of the pandemic. Our land has a major role in our quest to recover from the economic and climatic crisis of this pandemic. As a result, let us help heal our Earth by contributing and doing our part. Remember, a small step can go a long way.
In short, we hope this article helped you get an insight into the depth of the matter of desertification and drought and made you understand the gravity of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
