United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

DLDD = Desertification Land Degradation & Drought

Impact of Land degradation, desertification and drought on sustainable development of LLDCs

NK, NYLO

Areas affected by desertification and land degradation

Desertification affects over 40% of total world land area

Africa: Two thirds drylands, 73 % is moderately or severely affected

Asia: One third is drylands, 71% affected, All Pacific islands states face some sort of land degradation

North America proportion of drylands is 74%

Five European Union countries are affected

Latin America and the Caribbean: one fourth drylands, 75% affected

110 countries have drylands that are potentially at risk.Over 250 million people are directly affected and

One billion under threat or at riskGlobal desertification costs: US$42 Billion;

Land is a finite resource

DLDD: Some facts & figures

? Sustainable

Development

Food Energy Water

Forest

Land

DLDD

More than 50% of agricultural moderately to severely degraded

LD directly affects 1,5 billion people globally

75 billion tons of fertile soil disappear/year

12 million ha/Year lost due to drought and desertification

Six million km2 of drylands bear a legacy of desertification

Biodiversity: 27,000 species lost each year due to LD

“Improved management of the world’s land (including terrestrial carbon) represents 1/3rd of the overall global abatement potential in 2030

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Main Causes of Desertification/land

degradation

Human activity :over cultivation, over grazing

Deforestation Poor agricultural practices Drought and Climate Change

Extreme Poverty

Increased emissions of

GHG

Deforestation

Food insecurity & Hunger

Instability & Crises

Increased to Drought & Water stress

Biodiversity Loss

Migrations

DLDD has far-reaching impacts

Drylands and Conflicts (Cf. “Common Wealth” by J. Sachs)

Drought potential worldwide 2000-2098

Source : University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - http://www2.ucar.edu/news/2904/climate-change-drought-may-threaten-much-globe-within-decades

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“Future We Want”• Desertification, land degradation and drought• 205. We recognize the economic and social significance of good land management,• including soil, particularly its contribution to economic growth, biodiversity,• sustainable agriculture and food security, eradicating poverty, the empowerment of• women, addressing climate change and improving water availability. We stress that• desertification, land degradation and drought are challenges of a global dimension• and continue to pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of all• countries, in particular developing countries. We also stress the particular challenges• this poses for Africa, the least developed countries and the landlocked developing• countries. In this regard, we express deep concern for the devastating consequences• of cyclical drought and famine in Africa, in particular in the Horn of Africa and the• Sahel region, and call for urgent action through short-, medium- and long-term• measures at all levels.• 206. We recognize the need for urgent action to reverse land degradation. In view of• this, we will strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world in the context of• sustainable development. This should act to catalyse financial resources from a• range of public and private sources.

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Cost of Action Vs Inaction

The Economics of Land Degradation

Intervention Options for ZNLD

Type 1 - High degradation trend Rehabilitate if economicallyor highly degraded lands: 25% feasible; mitigate where

degrading trends are high

Type 2 - Moderate degradation Introduce measure to mitigatetrend in slightly or moderately degradation

degraded land: 8%

Type 3 - Stable land, slightly or Preventive interventionsmoderately degraded: 36%

Type 4 - Improving lands: 10% Reinforcement of enablingconditions which foster SLM

Source FAO SOLAW 2011

Source: W and the Gl

http://www

Poverty eradication Improving livelihood through

pro-poor policies on Sustainable Land & Water

Management

Climate change Land is a win-win context for

adaptation, mitigation & resilience building

Avoided Deforestation

Sust. Land Management & Restoration of degraded

Lands as an alternative to

Deforestation

Food Security Preserving the resource base

for food security - Land productivity/Soil fertility

improvement at the core of all long term strategies

Holistic Managemt

Bio Energies Opportunities for Bio

energies through biomass production

Drought & Water stress

Improving water availability & quality through sustainable land & water management

Biodiversity Biodiversity conservation

through improvement of land ecosystems’ conditions

Avoiding Forced Migrations

Changing the DAM paradigm

“Degrade-Abandon-Migrate”

Thank you "If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory…”.