MIAMI.- The United Nations points out that calculations indicate that 45% of the Earth’s surface is affected by the loss of land and a third of the world’s population suffers the impact of desertification: 3.2 billion people.
According to article 1 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), this entails “the degradation of lands in arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, such as climatic variations and activities human”.
In an interview broadcast by HIMIbrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the UNCCD, noted that “sustainable sources of energyincluding solar and wind, can help communities around the world reverse desertification and land loss.”
Thiaw asserted that, between now and 2050, up to 50% of global GDP could be lost due to problems in agriculture and food production, unless concrete actions are taken. “Desertification is happening both locally and globally. If we do not address it locally, we will never be able to control it globally. Global policies and decisions are needed. The implications are huge in terms of food security and sovereignty,” he said.
Furthermore, desertification causes migrations forced. “If people can no longer produce food on their land, they will migrate. As we have seen, for example, in the Sahel or in Haiti, it can have serious consequences for global security. When people fight over access to land and to water, more conflicts are generated. We are seeing more of this, and it has consequences on the homogeneity of communities and national economies,” said the expert.
Land degradation
Regarding the fact that June 17 is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Ibrahim Thiaw indicated that one hundred million hectares of land are degraded annually, which represents an area the size of Egypt.
“We have to stop land degradation, but we also have to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land,” stressed the executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
Source: HIM
