“The security, prosperity and health of billions of people depend on prosperous lands that support lives, livelihoods and ecosystems,” recalled the high representative in his message for World Day against Desertification and Desertification.
The head of the United Nations called for a united response when he warned that around four football fields of healthy soil are degraded every second.
“Governments, businesses, academics, communities and more must come together and act. “We know what we have to do: it is clearly set out in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification,” he said.
The UN chief also called to generate momentum towards the upcoming COP16, scheduled to be held at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia, as well as to ensure that young people are heard in the negotiations.
“Together, let us sow the seeds of a prosperous future: for nature and humanity,” he concluded.
According to UN figures, every dollar invested in land recovery can generate up to 30 dollars while nearly three billion people are impacted by desertification.
More than 130 UN member countries have committed to neutralizing land degradation by 2030 by signing the United Nations Convention to Combat It.
The purpose of this instrument is to create a world in which human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on the soil.
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