The second edition of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), entitled “Global Land Outlook” (GLO), which precedes the UNCCD’s COP15 conference in Africa, sheds light on the way in which land resources – soil, water and biodiversity – are currently poorly managed and misused and how it threatens the health and continued survival of many species on Earth, including our own.
However, the report says there is hope for curbing climate change and species extinction if countries are rehabilitated and protected.
Land degradation directly affects half of humanity and threatens about half of the world’s gross domestic product ($ 44 trillion).
The report highlights the nation’s current promise to restore 1 billion degraded acres by 2030 and calls for $ 1.6 trillion this decade, a fraction of the $ 700 billion in annual fossil fuel and agricultural subsidies.
The GLO 2 report has been produced for five years with 21 partner organizations and more than 1,000 references.
It provides an overview of the unprecedented scale and reflects the planetary consequences of three scenarios up to 2050: normal operation, restoration of 50 million square kilometers of land, and restoration measures complemented by the conservation of natural areas important for certain ecosystem services.
It also assessed the potential impact of the country’s restoration investments on climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, poverty reduction, human health and other important goals of sustainable development.
“At no other point in modern history has humanity encountered so many familiar and unknown risks and dangers that interact in a hyper-connected and rapidly changing world. We cannot afford to underestimate the scale and impact of these existential threats. Conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of land resources are a global necessity that requires action on the basis of the crisis … Ordinary business is not a viable path to our continued survival and prosperity, ”the report warns.
GLO2 also mentioned hundreds of examples from around the world showing the potential for restoring the country.
The report will be prepared before the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD, to be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (COP15, 9-20 May).
“Modern agriculture has changed the look of the planet more than any other human activity. We urgently need to rethink our global food systems, which are responsible for 80 percent deforestation, 70 percent freshwater use and the single biggest cause of deforestation. The country’s biodiversity loss.” Ibrahim ThiawThe Secretary-General of the UNCCD said.
“Investing in large-scale land reclamation is an effective and cost-effective tool in combating desertification, soil erosion and declining agricultural production. As a limited resource and the most valuable natural resource, we cannot afford to take land for granted,” Ibrahim added.
Source: ANI
Source: The Nordic Page