Desertification is a type of gradual land degradation of fertile land into arid desert due to a combination of natural processes and human activities.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran,where the convention was signed in 1971.
Rio Convention relates to the following three conventions,which were agreed at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity,climate change,international waters,land degradation,persistent organic pollutants (POPs),mercury,sustainable forest management,food security,and sustainable cities in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. It is the largest source of multilateral funding for biodiversity globally and distributes more than $1 billion a year on average to address inter-related environmental challenges.
Rangelands are grasslands,shrublands,woodlands,wetlands,and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies,desert grasslands and shrublands,woodlands,savannas,chaparrals,steppes,and tundras. Rangelands do not include forests lacking grazable understory vegetation,barren desert,farmland,or land covered by solid rock,concrete,or glaciers.
Land degradation is a process where land becomes less healthy and productive due to a combination of human activities or natural conditions. The causes for land degradation are numerous and complex. Human activities are often the main cause,such as unsustainable land management practices. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause;however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and wildfires.
The Great Green Wall or Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel is a project adopted by the African Union in 2007,initially conceived as a way to combat desertification in the Sahel region and hold back expansion of the Sahara desert,by planting a wall of trees stretching across the entire Sahel from Djibouti,Djibouti to Dakar,Senegal. The original dimensions of the "wall" were to be 15 km wide and 7,775 km long,but the program expanded to encompass nations in both northern and western Africa. The concept evolved into promoting water harvesting techniques,greenery protection and improving indigenous land use techniques,aimed at creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across North Africa. Later it adopted the view that desert boundaries change based on rainfall variations.
Kamarou Fassassi was a Beninese politician.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a United Nations observance celebrated each year on 17 June. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought,highlighting methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought. Each year's global celebration has a unique,novel emphasis that had not been developed previously.
Desert greening is the process of afforestation or revegetation of deserts for ecological restoration (biodiversity),sustainable farming and forestry,but also for reclamation of natural water systems and other ecological systems that support life. The term "desert greening" is intended to apply to both cold and hot arid and semi-arid deserts (see Köppen climate classification system). It does not apply to ice capped or permafrost regions. It pertains to roughly 32 million square kilometres of land. Deserts span all seven continents of the Earth and make up nearly a fifth of the Earth's landmass,areas that recently have been increasing in size.
Monique Barbut,born in 1956 in Morocco,is a French public servant who served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) from 2013 until 2019. She was appointed to this position by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 16 September 2013.
The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative is a global initiative which aims to increase awareness of the benefits of sustainable land management and economic consequences of land degradation.
Elion Group founded in 1988,is a Chinese company in afforestation and reclaiming desert and drylands,and is headquartered in the Kubuqi Desert.
Caroline King-Okumu is an international development opportunities manager for the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. She was formerly a senior researcher for the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Her major areas of research are dryland ecosystems,economic and environmental assessment,and climate change. She is considered an international expert on land and water management,particularly drylands agriculture. King-Okumu is based in Kenya but is involved in research and projects throughout the world.
Environmental issues in Yemen are abundant and are divided into the categories of land and water. In the aspect of water,Yemen has limited natural fresh water resources and inadequate supplies of potable water. As for the land,two main issues of Yemen are overgrazing and desertification. Yemen has signed several international agreements:Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,Desertification,Endangered Species,Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea,and Ozone Layer Protection.
Sustainable Development Goal 15 is about "Life on land". One of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015,the official wording is:"Protect,restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,sustainably manage forests,combat desertification,and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss". The Goal has 12 targets to be achieved by 2030. Progress towards targets will be measured by 14 indicators.
Patricia Kombo is a youth climate activist in Kenya. She is best known for her tree planting initiatives as part of her nonprofit PaTree Initiative. The initiative has planted over 10,000 trees as of 2020. For this work,Kombo has been named a United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Land Hero.
Kehkashan BasuMSM is a Canadian environmental and human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates. Basu also advocates for peace,children’s rights,education for sustainable development,nuclear disarmament,gender equality and climate justice. She is the Founder-President of Green Hope Foundation,the youngest Councillor of World Future Council,the youngest Trustee of the Parliament of the World's Religions,a KidsRights Youngsters member,and winner of the International Children's Peace Prize 2016.
Nana Bolashvili is a Georgian geographer born in Borjomi Georgia. From 2006 to 2007 she served as a deputy director of the Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography of the Tbilisi State University. Since 2007 she has served as a director of the Institute. Since 2016 she is the president of the Alexander Javakhishvili Geographical Society of Georgia
