What is World Day to Combat Desertification 2017

Environment · Lorenzo Brenna · 2017-06-16

Desertification involves soil degradation that affects the ecosystem and human living conditions, putting food security at risk.

Imagine a stretch of land covered in vegetation, sometimes even forests, that slowly dries out, giving way to a barren desert. While the world's woodlands are shrinking, deserts are constantly expanding — every year around six million hectares of land undergo the process of desertification.

Pastore con la sua capra — According to the UN, a change in our land-use practices through sustainable agriculture and adaptation to climate change is essential

The causes of desertification

This phenomenon is primarily driven by human activities such as deforestation and the destruction of plant biodiversity to make way for livestock grazing, intensive farming and poor management of water resources. Desertification represents one of the most serious threats the entire planet faces: from the food we eat, to the clothes we wear, to the homes we live in, everything derives from land resources, which are in grave danger due to soil degradation.

Processo di desertificazione — The exponential increase in soil erosion and desertification is the result of human activities and the reckless management of natural resources

Desertification and migration

The problem is particularly acute in certain parts of the world, such as the African continent, but it directly affects the West as well. According to researchers, by 2020 around 60 million people will migrate from sub-Saharan Africa towards North Africa and Europe as a result of desertification. 17 June marks the World Day to Combat Desertification, established by the United Nations in 1994. The aim of the day is to bring the issue of desertification to the forefront, to step up efforts to counter the effects of drought and to promote the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (Unccd).

Bambino pianta un albero — Tree planting is an effective method of combating desertification

Soil degradation and migration

The 2017 edition of the day, whose slogan is Soil degradation and migration, aims to examine the important link between soil degradation and migratory phenomena. Environmental breakdown, combined with food insecurity and poverty, is one of the main drivers of migration. In just 15 years, the number of migrants worldwide rose from 173 million recorded in 2000 to 244 million in 2015. The commemoration also seeks to highlight the importance of local communities, which can adopt sustainable land management practices, safeguarding their environment and combating desertification.