World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 17th is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. This observance is an important one, and there are numerous reasons why, not least of which is the immense impact desertification and drought has on people in the world.
Facts about drought:
3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water at least one month per year in 2018. By 2050, this is expected to rise to more than five billion.
The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29% since 2000.
Source: World Meteorological Organization
No Country is immune to drought.
By the year 2040, as many as one in four children in the world will live in an area with extremely limited water resources.
Source: Unicef
These issues are attributable in part to climate change, which has caused rising sea levels. In addition, there are also factors for which humans are at fault, including water system pollution and ecosystem degradation.
2023 Theme: Her Land. Her Rights.
The 2023 theme for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is “Her land. Her rights.”
This year’s emphasis was picked in acknowledgment of women’s land rights as fundamental in accomplishing the connected global goals of gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030.
The truth is, no one is exempt from prioritizing these efforts. All nations worldwide need to take action.
Drought Risk Management
Droughts have pervasive, costly impacts on communities worldwide. With the understanding that those impacts will be ongoing, it’s vital that governments and supporting entities activate meaningful efforts to mitigate the risks of drought.
In fact, the first is simply making the land healthier. Ecosystems should provide long-term freshwater storage, but water scarcity introduces water stress to many of the world’s populations. Deforestation, exhaustive energy use, and environmentally irresponsible habits are part of the problem.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is currently helping 70 countries prone to drought with the following:
- Warning systems
- Monitoring systems
- Vulnerability assessments
- Impact assessments
- Restoring degrading dryland ecosystems
- Developing national plans
Land rehabilitation efforts, and overarching efforts to teach people and farmers how to manage land better, are also key components of these strategies.
Check out the Drought Toolbox, which has more information on the work UNCCD is doing.
Technology is the best way to accelerate progress for warning systems, monitoring systems, assessments, and restoration projects. What’s more, as a leading agricultural technology provider, we actively engage with work like this, providing vital tech tools to in-country partners worldwide.
Our hope is that collective efforts can effectively reverse the current trends of widespread drought, a hope we share with leaders and individuals in every nation around the world.
To learn more about Dimitra, head to www.dimitra.io.
