While the world faces very high temperatures, heat waves, and rising sea levels, another quiet and overlooked problem is endangering human life—land degradation and desertification.
Scientists and world leaders said at the big UN meeting about fighting desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, that almost 40 percent of land around the world is damaged and suffering from drought. This is a serious risk to food supply and people’s lives.
The scale and environmental impact of the crisis:
The United Nations Environment and Climate Change Report says that desertification doesn’t just happen in one area; it is also affecting the world economy a lot.
Livelihoods of many people in danger: Right now, about 3.2 billion people rely on poor land and strong drought for their lives and jobs. In particular, the vast natural grasslands or rangelands have suffered severe damage, leading to the collapse of the livestock food supply system.
Economic losses and global impact: Land degradation and drought cause about 900 billion US dollars in economic losses to the global economy every year. Of this, drought-related losses alone account for about 300 billion US dollars per year, crippling the economies of developing countries.
Responsive policy change: Before, aid was only provided after issues like drought or desertification occurred. Now, we focus on getting ready ahead of time, creating early warning systems, and taking care of land and water sustainably. Different international groups, like the European Union, have shown a strong promise to cooperate to reach land Degradation Neutrality by 2030.
Green Page’s view:
If the soil beneath our feet is not healthy, the survival of human civilization will be impossible. The problems of land degradation and desertification are closely linked to climate change and biodiversity loss. It is only possible to keep the world safe and liveable by dealing with water, land, and climate protection together, not as different issues.
Green Page believes that if effective steps are not taken to prevent global desertification before time runs out, the entire human race will face a major catastrophe.
