VIDEO: World Day to Combat Desertification

By IPS World Desk Reprint | | Print |

ROME, Jun 14 2017 (IPS) - Today’s world is facing an unprecedented level of human mobility and migration is high on the political agenda all over the world.

The number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow rapidly, surpassing 244 million in 2015,growing at a rate faster than the world’s population.

Complex Links

Behind these numbers are complex links that tie migration to the consequences of environmental degradation, political instability, food insecurity and poverty. Many flee their lands, while many rural communities feel left behind.

Migration and land degradation

The 2017 World Day to Combat Desertification (#2017WDCD) will look closely at the important link between migration and land degradation.  It will be the Day to remind everyone of the importance of productive land for assuring nutritious food, generating local employment and contributing to the sustainability, stability and security of places affected by desertification.

The challenges are dire and often the apparent lack of choice or loss of livelihoods can lead to hopelessness.  And yet productive land is a timeless tool for creating wealth.

Re-investment in rural lands

Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, is calling for serious re-investment in rural lands so they can contribute to productive rather than negative trends.

Robust and sustained investment in rural lands can create local jobs and give households and communities a fighting chance to thrive. That in turn will strengthen national security and future prospects for sustainability.