According to the latest report from the United Nations, land degradation is costing the global agricultural sector approximately 5% of its GDP annually. This staggering figure highlights the urgent need to address the economic and social consequences of land degradation and implement sustainable land management practices worldwide.
The second scientific meeting of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification took place in Bonn, Germany, on the 9th. The findings presented at the conference revealed significant economic losses due to land degradation across different regions. In Africa, for example, between 4% and 12% of agricultural GDP is lost each year because of soil degradation, while in Guatemala, the loss reaches as high as 24%. These numbers emphasize the severe impact of land degradation on food security and economic stability.
The social effects are equally alarming. Around 870 million people globally suffer from chronic hunger, many of whom live in areas affected by land degradation. In Uzbekistan, food production has dropped by 20% to 30% due to declining soil quality. Similarly, the 2011 drought in East Africa led to a massive food aid effort that reached nearly 3.7 million people, underscoring the human cost of environmental decline.
In 1992, the UN estimated annual economic losses from desertification and land degradation at $42 billion. However, Luc Nyakaja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, pointed out that these earlier assessments were limited and did not account for indirect costs such as long-term productivity loss or increased vulnerability to climate change.
The second scientific meeting concluded on the 12th, aiming to provide a more detailed and accurate economic evaluation of desertification, sustainable land management, and resilience in dryland areas. The goal is to support policymakers in making informed decisions to combat land degradation and promote sustainable development. Nyakaja expressed hope that the meeting would raise awareness about the impacts of drought and strengthen efforts to restore degraded lands.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is one of the three key environmental agreements established under Agenda 21, adopted during the 1992 Earth Summit. Based in Bonn, Germany, the convention became operational in 1996. It supports countries facing desertification and drought by helping them develop strategies to mitigate the effects of land degradation and achieve long-term sustainability.
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