June 17, 2012 was the United Nation’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The theme for 2012 is “Healthy soil sustains your life: Let’s go land degradation neutral.” The UN website describes the issues surrounding desertification and drought: “The demand for life’s essentials will rise significantly in the next 20 years. About 50% more food will be needed, 40% more energy and 35% more water. How will these demands be met and with what resources?”
Are you interested in learning more about desertification and its causes? This site has information about issues such as the role of intensive farming in land degradation, and how poverty and population growth play into preservation. For resources about desertification and drought, click here. It has facts from around the world and a list of helpful sites to get more information. This site has a short list of messages from world leaders such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the importance of addressing these issues.
Are there drought and/or desertification issues where you live? If so, what actions are people taking to combat them?