World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought-2025: 17 June

Why in news?

• World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated every year on 17 June.
• This day is celebrated globally with the aim of raising awareness among people about serious environmental problems like desertification and drought and promoting measures to deal with them.
• The theme for the year 2025 is - Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities

History of this day:

• The celebration of this day was started by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1994, when it adopted the "United Nations Convention against Desertification" (UNCCD).
• This day was first celebrated in 1995 and since then it is being organized every year.

Importance of this day:

• This day makes people aware of the dangers of land degradation, desertification and drought.
• It inspires government, non-government and international organizations to formulate policies, collaborate and find solutions in this direction.
• This day encourages global efforts towards sustainable land management, ecological balance and climate adaptation.

Desertification and drought:

• Desertification is a process in which the land gradually loses its fertility and turns into barren land.
• There are many human and natural reasons behind this, such as excessive grazing, deforestation, improper irrigation, climate change and excessive exploitation of land.
• Drought is a natural disaster in which there is no rainfall in an area for a long time, causing severe water shortage and negatively affecting agriculture, animal husbandry, biodiversity and human life.

Effects of land degradation:

• Decline in agricultural productivity and food crisis.
• Drying of water sources and shortage of potable water.
• Loss of ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Migration of rural population and urban pressure.
• Socio-economic inequality and conflict.

Solutions and measures:

• Adopt sustainable agricultural practices and balanced use of chemical fertilizers.
• Plant trees, prevent deforestation and increase green cover.
• Promote water conservation techniques, such as rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation.
• Implement land reclamation schemes with the participation of local communities.
• Promote policy cooperation and international partnerships.

Status of desertification in India:

• About 30 percent of India's total land is affected by desertification and land degradation.
• India hosted the UNCCD COP-14 conference in the year 2019, in which many important global decisions were taken regarding land restoration.
• India has set a target of restoring 26 million hectares of land by the year 2030.

Important international efforts:

• UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) – Established in 1994, implemented in 1996.
• Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) – Global strategy to balance land degradation.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 – Focused on protecting “life on land”.