17 June 2009: With 200 million people projected to become environmentally-induced migrants by 2050, land degradation threatens national and regional stability, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, marking the World Day to Combat Desertification.
One-third of the Earth’s surface is affected by desertification, endangering the livelihoods and development of up to 1 billion people, Mr. Ban said in a message to commemorate the Day, which has been observed since 1995.
“Faced with long periods of drought, famine and deepening poverty, many have only one option: flight from the land,” he said, noting that there are already 24 million peopled forced by land degradation to leave their homes and that one-third of the world’s cropland has been abandoned in the past four decades.
Climate change is one force behind desertification, but the Secretary-General stressed that “we must reconsider our agricultural practices and how we manage our water resources,” with agriculture and livestock raising accounting for 70 per cent of fresh water use and up to 80 per cent of deforestation.
Increased demand for crops for both animal feed and biofuels will also strain scarce water resources without sustainable management, he pointed out.
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