Countries around the world are gathering in Riyadh on 2 December to take part in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Here the measures and efforts to convert land degradation into restoration will be discussed.
Information related to desertification is given below as to why it is important to protect productive land which is essential for life on Earth. This makes it clear that we have to immediately stop misbehaving with our planet. Life is not possible without land. Everyone knows that life is not possible without healthy land. Through this, humanity gets food, clothing and shelter. © UNEP/Florian Fusstetter Land is a source of employment, helps sustain livelihoods and underpins local, national and global economies. It helps regulate climate and maintain biodiversity. But despite its importance to life, 40 percent of the world’s land has been degraded, affecting about 3 billion 200 billion people; That’s almost half of the global population. From deforestation in Haiti to the gradual disappearance of Lake Chad in the Sahel and the drying up of productive lands in Georgia in Eastern Europe, land degradation is affecting all parts of the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that if our land does not remain healthy, our future will be in danger. Barren Land Desertification is the process by which land is degraded, usually in dry areas. Causes of desertification include climate change and human activities such as excessive farming or deforestation. Every year 100 million hectares (10 million square kilometers), or the size of a country like Egypt, of healthy and productive land is destroyed. In these areas The soil on the ground, which often takes hundreds of years to form, is being eroded by extreme weather events. The impact of drought is continuously increasing. According to an estimate, three out of four people in the world will face water scarcity by 2050. Temperature increases due to climate change are increasing the incidence of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, which are causing land degradation. The challenge of keeping the land productive has increased. Land degradation and climate. There is clear evidence that land degradation is directly linked to broader environmental challenges such as climate change. © World Bank/Andrea Borgarello Land ecosystems help absorb one-third of the human CO2 emissions that accelerate climate change. However, poor land management hampers this ability, rendering efforts to reduce these harmful gases futile. Rapid deforestation also increases desertification. Currently, only 60 percent of forests remain worldwide, far short of the United Nations’ “target of 75 percent protected.” Appropriate action is needed. The good news is that humanity has the power to restore land and reverse degradation. The knowledge and capacity are in place. To deal with the effects of devastating drought and floods, it is necessary to develop strong economies and resilient communities. © UNCCD/Juan Pablo Zamora The key is to put land-dependent people at the forefront of decision-making. UNCCD says that to make a big difference, 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land needs to be restored by 2030. will be. And this work is already underway – farmers in Burkina Faso are adopting new technologies, environmentalists in Uzbekistan are planting trees to eliminate salt and dust emissions, and activists in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, are taking extreme measures by restoring natural barriers. We are taking steps to protect ourselves from the weather. Expectations from the Riyadh Conference Policy makers, experts, private and civil society as well as youth are coming together in Riyadh with innumerable goals. These are: Accelerating efforts to restore degraded lands by 2030 and beyond Building resilience to increased incidence of drought, sand and dust storms Restoring soil productivity and increasing nature-friendly food production Protecting land rights and sustainable land management Promoting equity Ensuring that land, climate and biodiversity continue to provide solutions Creating economic opportunities, including land-based decent employment for youth United Nations And some important facts related to desertification: · Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD. The UN Climate Conference, or COP, is the main decision-making body of the UNCCD. .UNCCD is the global platform for land restoration, where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss the challenges and build a sustainable future for land. The 16th meeting of the COP (also known as COP16) is being held from 2 to 13 December in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. UNCCD is one of the three “Rio Conferences Is. This includes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). They came into existence as a result of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.