A man carrying a girl on his shoulders.
By 2050, 10 billion people will share our one planet – depending on healthy land for their livelihoods.
Photo:UNCCD

United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with up to 40% of all land area worldwide already considered degraded.

Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food but so much more: it clothes and shelters us, provides jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from the worsening droughts, floods and wildfires.

At the same time, growing populations coupled with unsustainable production and consumption patterns fuel demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation. Desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people each year at risk of displacement.

Of the world’s 8 billion inhabitants, over one billion of young people under the age of 25 years live in developing countries, particularly in regions directly dependent on land and natural resources for sustenance. Creating job prospects for rural populations is a viable solution that gives young people access to eco-entrepreneurship opportunities and at the same time to scale up best practices.

This year, the theme of the Desertification and Drought Day “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future” spotlights the future of land stewardship — our most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world.

Soil cracked by drought

Download the digital materials

Learn more about the Day and access the campaign materials in several languages: social media cards, banners, proposed messages and other content to support the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which leads this year’s observance. Hosting an event to mark the Day? Add it to the virtual map of events around the world.

Did you know?

  • Every second, an equivalent of four football fields of healthy land becomes degraded, adding up to a total of 100 million hectares each year.
  • Each USD invested in land restoration can yield up to 30 USD in return. In many countries affected by desertification, land degradation and drought, agriculture represents a high share of economic revenue.
  • Under UNCCD, over 130 countries have already pledged to achieve land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030: a world where human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on the land.

UN Event

Combat Desertification 2024 event save the date card

 

Monday, June 17, 2024

United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.

This year’s global observance will be hosted by the Government of Germany, a signatory to the convention and one of its dedicated supporters. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, it will be a pivotal moment to raise global awareness and mobilize all parts of society in support of sustainable land stewardship. Changemakers from all around the world will gather in Bonn, Germany to walk the talk and spotlight initiatives to secure healthy land for present and future generations. .

Cover of the report Global Drought Snapshot 2023.

To combat the negative effects of drought, global drought resilience is not a matter of choice but a necessity. Proactive measures, landscape restoration, sustainable water management, regenerative agriculture and disaster preparedness can help mitigate the negative impacts of drought and ensure a better future.

Dry field

The first major UN conference hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first UNCCD COP to take place in the Middle East and North Africa region, UNCCD COP16 will be a landmark event to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.