Desertification

The 16th conference of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ended without a binding agreement on tackling drought, despite worsening global aridification trends threatening billions worldwide. The 12-day talks, which concluded a day later than scheduled, saw nations defer consensus on a global drought response regime to COP17, planned for 2026 in Mongolia. Developing nations, particularly African countries, sought a legally binding protocol for drought preparedness while developed nations pushed for a weaker "framework", leading to the deadlock. UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said the session laid the groundwork for future discussions but acknowledged that parties need more time to agree on the best way forward. A UNCCD statement said nations made "significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026". A UN report released during the conference ...

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday declared 2025 to 2034 the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms extreme weather events that are increasing and threatening health and economies from central Africa to northern China. Uganda's UN Ambassador Godfrey Kwoba, who introduced the resolution on behalf of the Group of 77, a powerful UN group of 134 developing countries and China, told the 193-member assembly the initiative aims to halt and mitigate the negative effects of sand and dust storms through international and regional cooperation. The assembly adopted the resolution by consensus and a bang of the gavel by assembly president Dennis Francis. In a 2022 report, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification said sand and dust storms have increased dramatically in frequency in recent years. It said storms can exacerbate respiratory illnesses, kill crops and livestock, and increase desertification, though documentation of their impact is limited. The ...

The UNCCD called for better land management practices to restore damaged land and more efforts to improve early warning systems and boost resilience

Past experience can help reclaim degraded land

In the last 15 years, Professor Jyani has used his own funding to plant over million trees in Western Rajasthan

Strict rules were laid down and adhered to by common consent--young saplings would not be grazed or cut, so the common grounds would remain closed for certain periods of the year

New Delhi Declaration will help land restoration

Today, there should be no doubt that desertification is a global issue - it requires cooperation among nations

Over 600 million people risk the impact of climate change in India and if land degradation is not addressed, the problem could get more acute

The Chinese government plans to invest $9.5 billion in afforestation on the Loess Plateau by 2050