17 June – World Desertification Day

Today is the twelfth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). 2006 is also the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.

World Desertification Day is held to highlight the problem of desertification around the world – areas affected by land desertification are increasing at an alarming rate, and it has been an issue which is often ignored by governments (possibly because of it is most serious in the developing world rather than the first). It is hoped that more joint international action can be undertaken before the situation becomes unmanageable.

Desertification does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts, but rather the process of deforestation, overgrazing, and poor irrigation which lead to problems of poor water supply, famine, and mass migration. It is a result of over-exploitation and inappropriate land usage.

Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General, has stated that "Drought and desertification threaten the livelihood of over one billion people in more than 110 countries around the world."

Desertification has had a greatest impact in Africa, where an estimated two-thirds of the continent can be classified as desert or drylands. At least 33 countries in Africa are seriously affected by the problem.

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