World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Held on : 17th June

Desertification is the extreme deterioration of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas due to loss of vegetation and soil moisture. It is chiefly caused by man-made activities and influenced by climatic variations. It is principally caused by overgrazing, over drafting of groundwater and diversion of water from rivers for human consumption and industrial use. Desertification occurs on all continents except Antarctica and affects the livelihoods of millions of people, including a large proportion of the poor in dry lands. And its effects are experienced locally, nationally, regionally and globally. Dry lands occupy 41% of Earth’s land area and are home to more than 2 billion people—a third of the human population in the year 2000. The international community has long recognized that desertification is a major economic, social and environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of the world. The United Nations' World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is annually observed on June 17 to highlight the urgent need to curb the desertification process. It also aims to strengthen the visibility of the dry lands issue on the international environmental agenda.

History - In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17 the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The assembly acknowledged that desertification and drought were global problems because they affected all regions of the world. The assembly also realized that joint action by the international community was needed to combat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa. States were invited to devote the World Day to promoting awareness of the need for international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought, and on the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification.  Since then, country parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), non-governmental organizations and other interested stakeholders celebrate this particular day with outreach activities worldwide on June 17 each year.

Events - Individuals and organizations in various countries, such as Australia, Algeria, Canada, China, Ghana, and the United States, have participated in the day in recent years. Many events focus on educational activities to help combat problems relating to desertification and drought. Promotional activities may include the distribution of awareness raising materials such as calendars, fact sheets, posters and postcards to educational institutions and the general public. The day may also feature educational case studies, forums or discussions on drought and desertification, its implications on society and ways to minimize the problem. However, the effort to fight against desertification and drought does not occur only on this day. Many countries have been making a progressive effort in pro-actively addressing the issue and looking for solutions. For example, the Algerian Government resorted to a French research and engineering firm, in view of elaborating a national plan to protect the agricultural lands and to fight desertification. Pilot projects in Lebanon resulted in villagers producing za’atar and other traditional delicacies to tackle the agricultural decline caused by years of drought and desert expansion.

Themes - Earlier themes in regard to this day have been 2009 - Conserving land and water = Securing our common future, 2008 - Combating land degradation for sustainable agriculture, 2007 - Desertification and Climate Change - One Global Challenge and 2006 - The Beauty of Deserts – The Challenge of Desertification

Symbols - In March 2005 the UN agencies involved in celebrating the 2006 International Year of Deserts and Desertification organized a logo competition for that particular year. Krishen Maurymoothoo, a graphic designer from Mauritius, won the contest. The winning design featured three elements: a tree, which covers the logo as a protective roof; the sun, which acts as a symbol of warmth and life; and the dunes, which were formed of several colors relating to the earth's land. The current UNCCD logo, although different in some aspects, shares some similarities with Maurymoothoo's logo: trees that protect the earth; the sunlit sky, which brings about warmth in the background; and the land. Both logos use earth-based colours, which include green and brown.

Holiday Status - It is not a public holiday.