The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has selected 10 “Land Heroes” under the age of 35 from around the world. Through their actions and ideas, these young people have presented solutions for sustainable land management at a time when the threat of desertification and land degradation is increasing globally. The 16th session is ongoing. Meanwhile, meet the Land Heroes of 2024 to learn how they can become agents of change, unify other young people, provide mentorship and demonstrate the transformative power of collective efforts. Siddhesh Sakore, India Siddhesh Sakore empowers farmers And have seen very closely the economic difficulties faced by their families. He himself grew up in “a poor farmer family”. His organization Agro Rangers mainly works on prevention of soil erosion, which directly affects the productivity of land and the livelihood of farmers. Soil erosion is often caused by improper use, mismanagement, erosion, floods, desertification and pollution by chemicals. Siddhesh Sakore’s dream is to create livelihood opportunities for farmers, especially in the drought-hit areas of Pune. They are working to improve the conditions of farmers by moving from chemical farming to organic agroforestry practices. “At Agro Rangers, we believe that the fight against desertification and drought begins with sustainable, community-based farming practices and agroforestry innovations.” “”We are reviving and protecting soils by providing farmers with the knowledge and tools to integrate trees and crops, giving the land a strong and sustainable future. Rokiatu Traore, MaliRokiatu Traore considers herself a “green entrepreneur” and is running a social enterprise based on the Moringa tree in Mali, in which she has trained about 100 women to make products from 20 thousand Moringa trees. These products include organic tea, powder, oil, soap, spices and baby food, which are being exported to more than seven countries.2023 In 2010, Rokiatu Traore germinated 150,000 drought-resistant Moringa plants from Moringa seeds for 5,000 women and young farmers. “The seed is a dormant life,” she says. If it is provided with water, soil and security, it can provide permanent solutions to the problems of desertification, women’s poverty and malnutrition.” Her plans for the future are very ambitious. She wants to establish a network of millions of Moringa producing women by the year 2030. Apart from this, she wants to plant 1 crore Moringa trees and export Moringa-based products to the national, regional and international markets. Takudzwa Ashley Mlambo, ZimbabweFor Kudzwa Ashley Mlambo, planting trees is an important part of her youth-run organization Forestry and Citrus. Research (FACIR)’s goal is to plant and monitor one billion trees in Zimbabwe. It calls itself a Dubbed a “disruptive innovator”, he uses artificial intelligence and satellite technology to oversee this initiative, which he believes will lead to reforestation, slowing climate change and keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It is a necessary step to keep it limited. He believes, “The more greenery grows, the cooler the environment will be.” Billy Crystal G. Dumaliang, Philippines The Philippines is considered one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disasters. Due to climate change, there has been an increase in the intensity of recent storms. Deforestation of the land and watersheds surrounding the capital, Manila, makes the city more vulnerable to extreme weather events.Billy Crystal G. Dumaliang and the Masungi Georeserve Foundation he leads have launched an ambitious reforestation initiative. Its objective is to restore approximately 2,700 hectares of degraded watersheds around the georeserve and establish environmental balance. Their efforts are important not only to preserve the environment, but also to protect Manila and surrounding areas from natural disasters. Billy Crystal says, “Drought and land degradation are having a serious impact on the agriculture, well-being and daily lives of the Filipino people. So we need to conserve biodiversity and mitigate the effects of drought and climate change. It will be necessary to reduce.” He said that his organization is engaged in activities like conservation action on the ground, reforestation and telling inspiring stories related to sustainable geotourism. Astrid Peraza, Costa Rica Astrid Peraza believes that “making a meaningful change by working alone It is not possible.” As a youth climate educator, she has developed a collaborative board game called “Rescuing Penguins” in Costa Rica to turn this sentiment into reality. The purpose of this game is to educate players about climate change and its solutions. Apart from this, she has also been actively involved in a project to restore mangrove forests in this Central American country. Under this project, efforts are being made to protect the environment and prevent desertification of coastal areas. He said, “To overcome problems like land desertification, it is extremely important for communities to come together. Because when we talk about climate change, If you do this, then working alone is not an option.”
