World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Two years later, the General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), a legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management, and declared 17 June “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” (A/RES/49/115). This day, also known as “Desertification and Drought Day”, is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

Two years later, in 1994, the General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management, and declared 17 June “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” by its resolution A/RES/49/115.

Official Website

2024 Theme: United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, with up to 40% of all land area worldwide already considered degraded.

Healthy land not only provides us with almost 95% of our food but so much more: it clothes and shelters us, provides jobs and livelihoods, and protects us from the worsening droughts, floods and wildfires.

At the same time, growing populations coupled with unsustainable production and consumption patterns fuel demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation. Desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people each year at risk of displacement.

Of the world’s 8 billion inhabitants, over one billion of young people under the age of 25 years live in developing countries, particularly in regions directly dependent on land and natural resources for sustenance. Creating job prospects for rural populations is a viable solution that gives young people access to eco-entrepreneurship opportunities and at the same time to scale up best practices.

This year, the theme of the Desertification and Drought Day “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future” spotlights the future of land stewardship — our most precious resource to ensure the stability and prosperity of billions of people around the world.

UNCCD DDD 2024

Read the Press Release

The Role of Geneva

Various international organizations in Geneva – listed below in alphabetical order – are engaged in combating desertification and droughts.

Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, and the Role of Geneva

Events

The Global observance of the Desertification and Drought Day 2024 will be hosted by the Government of Germany on 17 June at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. The event will also mark the 30th anniversary of UNCCD. It will bring together leaders, youth and prominent personalities from the fields of politics, academia, civil society, the private sector and entertainment to showcase a strong ambition to be united for land, ahead of the largest-ever UN conference on land and drought – UNCCD COP 16 – that will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024.

World Environment Day 2024

The 2024 edition of World Environment Day will focus on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience, as the year marks the 30^th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. To celebrate the observation, the Geneva Environment Network organized its traditional celebration on 5 June 2024. → Revisit the session and find highlights