The Desertification and Drought Day is a United Nations observance day held on June 17 each year. This year, the special day will focus on changing public attitudes to the leading driver of desertification and land degradation: humanity’s relentless production and consumption. The main aim of this day is to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought, highlighting methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought.

Every year, the day is marked as a global celebration with a unique, novel emphasis. Land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss are intimately connected, and are increasingly affecting human well-being. Tackling these issues together is key to achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought History

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/49/115 on January 30, 1995, after the day when United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is drafted. This year, the global observance event, hosted by Korea Forest Service, will take place online with a full-day program featuring a variety of exciting events and international talent.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020 Theme

As populations become larger, wealthier and more urban, there is far greater demand for land to provide food, animal feed and fibre for clothing. The theme for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020 is “Food. Feed. Fibre.”, which seeks to educate individuals on how to reduce their personal impact. The theme is contributing to climate change, with around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions coming from agriculture, forestry and other land use. Clothing and footwear production causes 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure predicted to rise almost 50 per cent by 2030.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought Significance

Every year, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed 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 co-operation at all levels. Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations.

Globally, 23 percent of the land is no longer productive while 75 percent has been transformed from its natural state, mostly for agriculture. This transformation in land use is happening at a faster rate than at any other time in human history, and has accelerated over the last 50 years. Everyone needs to know that desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) have direct affect on their daily lives, and that everyone's daily actions can either contribute to, or help fight DLDD.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2020 05:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).