Organized through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Bonn, actors worldwide gather under the motto “United for the Earth: Our Legacy. Our Future.”

This year coincides with the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the only global agreement dedicated to sustainable land management ratified by 196 countries and the European Union.

The date, officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, aims to promote public awareness of issues related to desertification, land degradation, and drought.

Desertification is the result of the permanent degradation of soils, caused by the constant deforestation of forests, salinization, lack of water, and overexploitation of aquifers, which is generally produced by man’s economic activity.

The executive secretary of the Convention, Ibrahim Thiaw, warned that by 2050, 10 billion people will depend on this vital resource and yet, every second an area equivalent to four soccer fields is lost due to land degradation.

jrr/jav/mem/abm