PL
This year, the theme for Desertification and Drought Day is “United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future.” It draws attention to the future of land management – our most precious resource that provides stability and prosperity to billions of people around the world.
The future of our land is at risk. Desertification, land degradation and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with up to 40% of all land areas worldwide already considered degraded.
Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food, but also much more: it provides clothing and shelter, jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from worsening droughts, floods, and wildfires. Yet every second, the equivalent of four football fields of healthy land is being degraded, totaling 100 million hectares each year.
A growing population, combined with unsustainable production and consumption patterns, is driving demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation. Desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people at risk of displacement each year.
The global celebration of Desertification and Drought Day 2024 will be hosted by the German government. Together with the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the city of Bonn, where the headquarters of the UNCCD Secretariat are located since 1999, a series of events will be organized for the general public. A photo exhibition, educational programs and musical performances, together with a social media campaign launched before the Day, will ensure global outreach of this year’s theme.
June 17, 2024 also marks the 30th anniversary of the Bonn-based United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – the only legally binding international treaty on land management and drought.
Officially proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1994, Desertification and Drought Day, observed annually on June 17, has the following objectives:
- promoting public awareness of the issues related to desertification, land degradation and drought
- showing human-made solutions to prevent desertification and reverse worsening droughts
- strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
To learn more about this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, click here: https://www.unccd.int/DDD2024
To learn more about Desertification and Drought Day celebrations around the world, click here: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024/events-around-world
