Growing desertification is drying up the planet

This piece by Jamil Ahmad, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the UNEP New York office, was originally published in Arab News

Loss of moisture and nutrients in drylands decreases crop productivity, affects people and their livestock and increases the risk of food insecurity. Diseases spread when water is poor in quality and scarce in quantity. Children are among the first victims of malnutrition in countries hit by droughts and desertification and social instability inevitably follows when people are forced to relocate to escape from the harsh impacts on their lives.

COP16 on desertification aims to renew the commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and enhance drought resilience through a people-centered approach by on-boarding all segments of society. The real measure of its success, however, will rely on the swift and sustained implementation of the agreed outcomes to prevent the planet from further drying up and effectively address the drivers and impacts of desertification.

Read the full article.