Bonn, Germany, February 21, 2024 – This year's Desertification and Drought Day, celebrated on June 17, will focus on the future of land management. Every second, the equivalent of four football fields of healthy land is degraded – adding a total of 100 million hectares each year.
It is more important than ever to engage current and future generations to halt and reverse these alarming trends and meet global commitments to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. The theme chosen for this year's Desertification and Drought Day is “United for the Earth: Our Heritage.” . . Our Future.” – seeks to mobilize all segments of society to support sustainable land management.
June 17, 2024 also marks the 30th anniversaryy Anniversary of the Bonn-based United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the only legally binding international treaty on land management and drought; One of the three Rio Conventions along with climate change and biodiversity.
“Up to 40 percent of the world’s land is already degraded, affecting nearly half of humanity,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. “Yet solutions are on the table. Land restoration works to lift people out of Poverty and Building Resilience to Climate Change It is time to unite for the land and show the red card of land loss and degradation around the world.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will host this global celebration event Federal Arts Hall (Arts and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany) in Bonn on Monday, June 17, 2024.
“About a quarter of the world's population is affected by drought. The condition of our soils in Europe is deteriorating rapidly. Protecting soil and land is a global challenge. We must take action together today so that future generations have access to vital natural resources. “We will not be able to feed humanity and cope with Climate and biodiversity crisis unless we have healthy soils,” said Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Celebrated by leaders from around the world, young people and prominent figures from academia, civil society, sport and entertainment, this global event will bring together a powerful ambition to unite for land, ahead of the largest ever UN conference on land and drought. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024 (COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification).
Throughout May and June, UNCCD, in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the City of Bonn as its partner, will start a public awareness campaign #UNited4Land and participate in various events in and around Bonn on the future of land management.
“As the home of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and a city on the path to climate neutrality in 2035, Bonn can only think and protect climate, nature and land together,” said Katja Dorner, Mayor of Bonn. “Land is everything, and it is much more than the built-up area.” On it is our city. The land is the soil on which our crops grow, a home for plants and animals, a sponge for water, open space and a cooling corridor – a legacy that we pass on to future generations.
Countries around the world are mobilizing to mark Desertification and Drought Day with a range of educational, cultural and sporting activities – from film screenings to football tournaments and from tree planting to horticultural competitions. The full program of events will be available online at: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day.
On the day of desertification and drought
The United Nations General Assembly officially declared in 1994 (A/RES/49/115) the Day of Desertification and Drought, observed annually on 17 June, with the following objectives:
- Promote public awareness of issues related to desertification, land degradation and drought
- Showcasing human-led solutions to prevent desertification and reverse intensifying drought
- Strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Participate in this year's celebration:
To learn more about this year's Desertification and Drought Day, click here: https://www.unccd.int/DDD2024
To access #UNited4Land campaign materials, click here: https://trello.com/b/VdJGolcp/desertification-and-drought-day-2024
To learn more about Desertification and Drought Day activities around the world, click here: https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024/events-around-world
To participate online in the global celebration event in Bonn, please contact: communication (at) unccd.int
For more information please contact:
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification: Xenia Scanlon, +49 152 5454 0492, com. xscanlon [at] unccd.int (xscanlonatunccddotint) Or trade Giannis,
+49 178 285 8629 y blood circulation [at] unccd.int (yumlovatonxdotint) With a copy of He presses [at] unccd.int (compressed)
BMZ: Press Unit, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Tel: +49 (0)30 18 535-2451, Email: Click [at] bmz.bund.de (Click on bmzdotbunddotde)www.bmz.de
