Desertification Threatens Millions of People, UN Says

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned on Monday that desertification, land degradation and drought are pivotal threats affecting millions of people globally.

In his message for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Guterres stressed these problems have a greater impact on women and children.

Twenty-five years ago, 197 nations passed a historic agreement to mobilize global action to combat desertification, but much remains to be done, Guterres stated.

According to him, the world loses 24 billion tons of fertile soil every year, and the drylands and land degradation scale down the gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries by up to 8 percent per year.

We urgently need to change such trends, Guterres said, referring to the fact that protection and better use of land can reduce forced migration, enhance food safety and boost economic growth.

It can also help us deal with global climate emergency, he pointed out.

On this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Guterres called for, we recognize how imperative is to combat this problem as part of common efforts to Sustainable Development Goals.

Desertification Threatens Millions of People, UN Says

United Nations, June 17 (Prensa Latina) The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned on Monday that desertification, land degradation and drought are pivotal threats affecting millions of people globally.

In his message for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Guterres stressed these problems have a greater impact on women and children.

Twenty-five years ago, 197 nations passed a historic agreement to mobilize global action to combat desertification, but much remains to be done, Guterres stated.

According to him, the world loses 24 billion tons of fertile soil every year, and the drylands and land degradation scale down the gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries by up to 8 percent per year.

We urgently need to change such trends, Guterres said, referring to the fact that protection and better use of land can reduce forced migration, enhance food safety and boost economic growth.

It can also help us deal with global climate emergency, he pointed out.

On this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, Guterres called for, we recognize how imperative is to combat this problem as part of common efforts to Sustainable Development Goals.