Rising up from drought together

In addition to drought, human activities also contribute to desertification – the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It occurs because dryland ecosystems, which cover over one-third of the world’s land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land. For these reasons, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed yearly to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement and cooperation at all levels.

This year, the theme of the International Day against Desertification and drought is “Rising up from drought together”, and will be observed on June 17. The global observance of the event will take place in Spain, a country that is particularly vulnerable to drought.