news17.06.2024
United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported in 2021 that both the frequency and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000 compared to the previous two decades. This tendence degrade an already critical situation where over 2.3 billion people face water stress, highlighting the severity of the issue.
The Desertification and Drought Day is observed every year on 17th of June to promote public awareness. The day inspires and motivates our society to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality (LDN) is achievable. Desertification and drought are issues of a global dimension in that they affect all regions of the world, and that joint action by the international community is needed to address them, especially in Africa. The commemoration of the day is led by the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
Dryland ecosystems, covering more than 30% of the earth’s land area are highly susceptible to overexploitation and unsuitable land practices. Desertification, the deterioration of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions, primarily stems from human actions and climate shifts. This leads to disproportionately impacting the world’s most impoverished communities. Our daily choices, including what we purchase, consume, wear, and how we travel, directly influence the management of land resources.
This year’s observance of Desertification and Drought Day will underline the importance of sustainable land stewardship for the future. Every second, an area equivalent to four football fields of healthy land degrades, resulting in a staggering loss of 100 million hectares annually. Therefore, action is needed, and it is very important to involve our society in efforts to halt and reverse this concerning development. This includes meeting global commitments to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. The chosen theme for this year, “United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future”, aims to rally all sectors of society in support of sustainable land management.
Regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals that should be reached by 2030, CES plays an active role in advancing the SDGs, acknowledging them as interconnected targets for fostering a sustainable future. Due to Desertification and Drought, it is crucial to regard SGD 15: Life on Land and its interconnected sub-targets. SDG 15 aims to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of ecosystems including sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss are crucial objectives.
SDG 15.3 comprises to end desertification and restore degraded land. Furthermore, this means in detail, that by 2030 the combat of desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world should be accomplished.
CES‘ projects mostly take place in Sub-Sahara Africa, an area that faces enormous challenges due to desertification and droughts. One of our projects „Somaliland – Sustainable Land, Water, and Soil Management“, significantly improves and secures the living conditions of local people in the area. The objective of this sustainable land management project is to reduce land degradation and erosion in the Biji catchment area in Somaliland. At CES, we take pride in our ability to contribute to these vital areas and supporting a more sustainable development around the globe where every individual can benefit from!
