•  World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Date: June 17 (every year)
Organized by: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

What is Desertification and Drought?

• Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas due to climate change, deforestation, overgrazing, and poor agricultural practices.

• Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall that causes water shortages and stress on ecosystems, agriculture, and people.

These issues are closely connected and threaten food security, biodiversity, water access, and livelihoods, especially in vulnerable regions like Africa, Asia, and parts of Latin America.

What Is It About?

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed annually on June 17 to raise awareness about the serious global challenges of land degradation, desertification, and drought. The day highlights the urgent need to protect land resources, promote sustainable land management, and take climate action to prevent environmental damage.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Date: June 17 every year
Established by: United Nations General Assembly in 1994
Led by: UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

History of the Day

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) came into force in 1996.

• World Day was declared in 1994, coinciding with the anniversary of the UNCCD's adoption.

• Each year, the UNCCD promotes a theme to raise awareness and guide international efforts.

Why It Matters

• Desertification affects more than 100 countries, damaging fertile land and threatening food security.

• Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, impacting water supplies, agriculture, and human livelihoods.

• Nearly 75% of Earth's land has been degraded due to unsustainable farming, deforestation, and overgrazing.

Objectives

• Promote global cooperation to restore degraded land.

• Support communities and farmers affected by drought.

• Encourage governments to include land restoration in national climate strategies.

• Emphasize the link between healthy land and a sustainable future.

Themes from Recent Years

• 2024 Theme: “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.”
  Focused on land restoration and youth participation to ensure future generations inherit a livable planet.

• 2023 Theme: “Her Land. Her Rights.”
  Highlighted the role of women in land restoration and sustainable agriculture.

2024 Theme (Example)

“United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.” – Focusing on collective responsibility to protect and restore our planet’s soil and ecosystems.

Key Facts

• Up to 40% of the world's land is now degraded.

• Land degradation affects over 3 billion people globally.

• Sustainable land use can provide up to one-third of the climate change mitigation needed by 2030.

Key Facts and Challenges

1. More than 2 billion hectares of productive land is degraded globally.

2.  By 2050, droughts could affect over 75% of the global population.

3.  Land degradation affects over 3 billion people, especially farmers and indigenous communities.

4.  Over 70 countries experience desertification.

5. Climate change intensifies both desertification and drought, accelerating water scarcity, wildfires, and loss of crops.

Solutions and Global Efforts

• Sustainable land management (crop rotation, reforestation, soil conservation).

• Water harvesting and drought-resilient farming.

• Restoring degraded land using native plants and traditional practices.

• Policy actions: Many nations now include land restoration in their climate commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions - NDCs).

• International cooperation: Through initiatives like the Great Green Wall (Africa) and Land Degradation Neutrality Fund.

What You Can Do

•  Support tree-planting and land restoration campaigns.

•  Learn and educate others about sustainable farming and water use.

•  Conserve water in daily life.

•  Advocate for policies that promote climate resilience and land regeneration.