On June 17, we celebrate Desertification and Drought Day and this year we also celebrate the Convention’s 30th anniversary. Did you know? Currently, 23% of global land is no longer productive, and 75% has been transformed from its natural state, primarily for agriculture.
Every year, 100 million hectares of land degrade—equivalent to losing 4 football fields of healthy land every second. By 2050, 10 billion people will depend on the land for their livelihoods. These dire statistics remind us of the urgency to address desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). With up to 40% of all land area worldwide already degraded, these issues threaten food security, livelihoods, and environmental stability.
Why does it matter? Well, because healthy land is vital. It provides 95% of our food, shelters us, and supports millions of jobs around the world. It also acts as a buffer against natural disasters, which are becoming more frequent and severe. Land degradation contributes to forced migration, with tens of millions at risk of displacement each year due to environmental challenges.
Caring for land is a shared, intergenerational responsibility. Indigenous peoples and local communities, who are often disproportionately affected by land degradation, play a crucial role in sustainable land management. Their traditional knowledge and practices are essential for long-term environmental protection. This year's celebration theme, “United for land. Our Legacy. Our Future”, highlights this, and the transformative power of sustainable land use – a blueprint for a healthy future on land for future generations.
With over a billion young people in developing countries directly dependent on land, their involvement is key to sustainable land management. Initiatives like the UNCCD Youth Caucus and training programs for young negotiators empower youth to drive change. Investing in sustainable land management can yield substantial economic returns—up to 30 times the investment—and create green jobs, especially in agriculture.
Desertification and Drought Day, declared by the UN General Assembly, aims to raise awareness about DLDD, promote solutions, and support the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This year, coinciding with the Convention’s 30th anniversary, the global observance in Bonn, Germany, will spotlight initiatives for sustainable land stewardship. Read more here. 
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Addressing desertification and land degradation is crucial for food security, job creation, and climate resilience. Investing in sustainable land use and empowering youth, particularly in developing countries, can help mitigate these issues and ensure a healthy, prosperous future. We hope to beat it
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We all ought to deal with the issue of.dessertification before the effects are.irrevesible.
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@jane_wangui Desertification is actually quite reversible
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@jane_wangui Indeed, we cannot afford to sleep on this very pertinent issue. We have to to ensure no permanent damage is done
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@jane_wangui I agree.
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Indeed our legacy our future and the vice versa is a very great rallying call in this year's theme.
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Thank you for providing such detailed and clear information. https://medium.com/@leslie.larosa/is-solar-worth-it-in-south-dakota-2024-guide-c12b2bc4bd96
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This year's theme;United For land.Our Legacy.Our Future is inspiring. There's need for immediate action to reverse land degradation and stop desertification. Good Job to UNCCD for the amazing progress towards this
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@rukia_ahmed_abdi Especially as more and more of our arable land becomes degraded due to deforestation and climate change effects, the need to restore this land has never been greater.
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It's encouraging to see global awareness and commitment to land restoration. 👏
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@princess_nel_268 Successful land restoration requires an approach that uses knowledge, drive and ambition across all generations