UNCCD: NewsHighlightsList http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/AllItems.aspx RSS feed for the NewsHighlightsList list. UNCCD Adeyemi Adelakun Adeyemi Adelakun Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:48:55 GMT Microsoft SharePoint Foundation RSS Generator 60 en-US UNCCD: NewsHighlightsList http://www.unccd.int/_layouts/images/siteIcon.png http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/AllItems.aspx Migratory wildlife shares the use of land and water with livestock and people http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=209 Summary: On the occasion of the 2013 WDCD, Dr. Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals calls for concerted actions to improve the conditions of the fragile balance of dryland ecosystems.
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​“Don’t let our future dry up” - World Day to Combat Desertification 2013


Statement from Dr. Bradnee Chambers

Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)


On the World Day to Combat Desertification 2013, I gladly join the efforts to draw the attention to the importance of conserving dryland ecosystems and their integrity, not least because they support migratory species.

Drylands, covering more than 40 per cent of the Earth’s land mass, are characterized by water scarcity and therefore greatly affected by changes in the availability of water.


Despite their aridity, drylands host rich biodiversity which is highly adapted to extreme climatic conditions. Over the millennia, species have developed amazing mechanisms to adapt to extended periods of drought including the ability to escape, evade, resist and endure. Some animals’ movements are dictated by the availability of water.  Therefore, we observe long-distance migrations as  a common feature of drylands.

Migratory species are habitat specialists.  By making the most of briefly-available resources such as the rich seasonal growth found in many desert oases and wet patches, and moving on to avoid deteriorating conditions, they are skilled survivors.  


Migratory wildlife shares the use of land and water with livestock and people. Their wealth is interlinked. Lack of water  and land degradation can severely alter the fragile balance of dryland ecosystems.

Concerted actions are needed  to improve the conditions of these ecosystems. CMS is delighted to be part of a broad community which develops networks of cooperation and collaboration that help us to build a prosperous future for mankind  and the species alike.


More information on CMS:http://www.cms.int/

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]]> Yukie Hori Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:51 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=209 World Day to Combat Desertification Marked Globally with calls for action on policy and grassroots fronts http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=208 Summary: The global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification was today marked in many countries all over the world, including, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ghana, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, and Namibia
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​Global WDCD observance: Ghent, Belgium
The global observance was marked at the Conference on Desertification and Land Degradation titled, “Desertification: to care or not to care?” organized by the University of Ghent, Belgium, jointly with UNESCO, UNU-UNWEH and BC Gent. Speaking at the event, Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification called for action at the policy and grassroots profits in order to mitigate the effects of drought, and to combat desertification and land degradation effectively. On the ground, he called for help to enable local communities adopt and scale up sustainable land management practices. On the policy front, he said, one side of the equation is to turn the global aspiration of a land-degradation neutral world into a reality by giving it a concrete target under the Sustainable Development Goals under consideration. The other side is to mitigate drought by implementing the outcomes of the recent high level meeting on national drought policy held in Geneva in order to better prepare for and manage the risks associated with drought.

Gnacadja also announced the three winners of the Land for Life Award with a total prize fund of USD100,000 drawn from 137 applications received from 62 countries. The top award of USD 40,000 goes to overall winner, Foundation for Ecological Security from India. The two runners-up who will receive USD30,000 each are Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible from Mexico and World Vision Australia for its work in West Africa.
 
Click on the links to read the full statement of Luc Gnacadja and the press release from the meeting.
 
Follow us on twitter: @UNCCD and @LucGnacadja
Follow the conversation: #WDCD2013, #desertification and #drought
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]]> Corinna Voigt Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:18:50 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=208 UNCCD Announces 2013 Winners of Land for Life Award http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=207 Summary: Top sustainable land management prize totaling USD 100,000 goes to development organizations in India, Mexico and Australia.
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​​Top sustainable land management prize totaling USD 100,000 goes to development organizations in India, Mexico and Australia

(17/06/2013) Ghent, Belgium. For the second year running, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has announced the winners of the 2013 Land for Life Award with a USD 100,000 cash award, to shine the spotlight on organizations that show tangible evidence in combating desertification, land degradation and drought. The announcement was made as part of the worldwide celebrations of the World Day to Combat Desertification taking place today.
 
The first prize award of USD 40,000 goes to Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a non-governmental organization in India, which was ranked top of the 137 applicants from 62 countries.
 

The second place was a tie between Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible (CCMSS) from Mexico for its work in the Amanalco Valle Bravo Basin in central Mexico and World Vision Australia for popularizing Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration in the Sahel region in Africa.

Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, announced the winners this morning at the Conference on Desertification and Land Degradation from the City of Ghent, Belgium, which is hosting the World Day global observance.

 

“These three winners exemplify the type of leadership and initiatives that make the difference at the grassroots level. They improve livelihoods while fostering good land stewardship. Much of what they offer is simple, but transformational,” Mr. Gnacadja said.

 
“We recognize innovative community initiatives that can be replicated to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and affected populations. What is needed now are policies to attract investment to scale them up and roll them out,” he added.

 

The organization Rehabilitation of Arid Environments in Kenya received special mention from the jury for their achievements in drylands area of Baringo County, helping rural communities to regenerate degraded land.

 

 During the event, Gnacadja also announced that Eritrea, Hungary, Kenya, Portugal and Thailand were unveiling their Drylands Champions as part of the worldwide observances to celebrate the Day.

 
He said their zeal, drive and sacrifice keep alive the hope for a productive land heritage for children yet unborn. They “are the global land heroes of our time,” he said.
 

The jury for the Land for Life Award is independent with experts drawn from the field of sustainable land management. It includes personalities like Ms. Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF, Dr. Vandana Shiva, a renowned environmental activist from India, Dr. Dennis Garrity, former executive director of World Agroforestry Center and Dr. Mary Seely from the Desert Research Foundation in Namibia, among other respected experts from academia, government, and civil society.

"We are recognizing organizations that have innovated techniques that have jumped the gap and are being applied with large scale impacts and potential for replicability globally as well as nationally,” said Dr. Garrity, speaking on behalf of the Jury.  “Each of these initiatives has engaged thousands of rural people and they work at the community level, motivating smallholder farming households to actively engage as stewards of the soil."  (ends)

​Resources
Photos of Land for Life Award winners for Media use:  http://bit.ly/L4L-winners-photos
More on the WDCD and events taking place around the world:  http://bit.ly/wdcd2013
Land for Life Award: http://bit.ly/L4L-UNCCD

 

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]]> Emily Davila Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:13:53 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=207 United Nations calls for global action on drought http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=206 Summary: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a collective global response to drought and a shift from crisis management to drought preparedness and resilience. He said the price for preparedness is minimal compared to the cost of disaster
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​

PRESS RELEASE
 
United Nations calls for global action on drought
 
17/06/2013, Bonn, Germany - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a collective global response to drought and a shift from crisis management to drought preparedness and resilience. He said the price for preparedness is minimal compared to the cost of disaster relief.

 

Secretary-General Ban said droughts can be mitigated and called for the full implementation of the outcomes of the High-level Meeting on National Drought Policy in Geneva in March. He also called for implementation of last year’s agreement at the Rio + 20 Conference on sustainable development to avoid and offset land degradation.
Secretary-General Ban made his call in worldwide observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification on Monday, 17 June.

 

The statement comes as the effects of drought bite again. The wildfires raging in the United States follow last year’s drought, the most extensive in the country since the 1950s.  Last month, Namibia declared a national drought emergency as 14% of the population became food insecure.
Last week, Robert Piper, UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, appealed for urgent help to deal with the ongoing food and nutritional crisis that has broken out again in the Sahel region of West Africa. Currently, over 11.4 million people are facing food insecurity.

 

 
Ban’s call was echoed by Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the treaty designated to lead global efforts to mitigate drought and combat desertification and land degradation.
“For over three decades, the international community has grappled with drought impacts and their mitigation. But relief still dominates. In most cases, the response is too late. To date, only one country in the world has a comprehensive national drought policy,” Gnacadja said.

 

“Investing in our resilience today costs a fraction of the relief price we will pay tomorrow, and its benefits are worth far more. Becoming a drought-resilient global society is not only possible and affordable, it must be our first and only option,” he stressed.
Gnacadja referred to the achievements of the village of Batodi in Niger, where five million hectares of land were restored through agroforestry. As a result the water table rose by 14 meters. “The most affected communities are not standing by but are leading the way to drought resilience and water security,” Gnacadja said.
As part of the global celebrations, Gnacadja also announced the three winners of 2013 Land for Life Award, a global initiative with a prize fund of USD100,000. The award was established last year to recognize innovative and replicable community initiatives, which strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and affected populations.
“The winners exemplify the type of leadership that makes the difference at the grassroots level. Much of what they offer is simple, but transformational. They need to be supported by policies to attract investment to scale them up and roll them out,” he said.

 

 

 

Gnacadja also announced that the Drylands Champions initiative was set up under the Convention to rally support for individuals that are making a practical difference on the ground.
He said Eritrea, Hungary, Kenya, Portugal and Thailand have announced that they will designate their first ever Drylands Champions as part of the Day’s celebrations.

 

Celebrations are also planned in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Georgia, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Timor Leste, Turkey and Ukraine. The global observance will be held on 17 June at the Conference on Land Degradation and Desertification taking place in Ghent, Belgium.
 

 

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Notes to Editors:
Download the full message of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/WDCD/WDCD%202013/desertification%20day%202013%20SG%20message%20final%20cleared.pdf
Download the full message of Luc Gnacadja, UNCCD Executive Secretary, visit:
http://www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/WDCD/WDCD%202013/2013%20WDCD%20MESSAGE_Rev1.pdf
For the contact person (National Focal Point) of the 194 countries that are party to the Convention, go to: http://www.unccd.int/en/about-the-convention/Official-contacts/Pages/default.aspx
For information on the winners of the Land for Life Award visit: http://bit.ly/UNCCD-media
For interviews or more information on the World Day to Combat Desertification, contact: : Yukie Hori. Coordinator, Awareness Raising, Communication and Education Unit: yhori@unccd.int +49 228 815 2829

 

 
About the World Day to Combat Desertification
Starting in 1995, the World Day to Combat Desertification is observed every year on 17 June to promote public awareness on the issues of and international cooperation in combatting desertification and drought mitigation. The Parties to the Convention and organizations of the United Nations System, international and non-governmental organizations and other interested stakeholders celebrate the day with a series of outreach activities worldwide.

 

 
 

 

About the UNCCD
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. At Rio +20 in 2012, world leaders agreed to strive to become a land degradation neutral world to curb the growing threats of desertification, land degradation and drought. Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and the promotion of healthy soils. The Convention’s 195 Parties work to alleviate poverty in the drylands, maintain and restore the land’s productivity, and mitigate the effects of drought.

 


 

 

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]]> Corinna Voigt Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:21:37 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=206 Message of the Secretary-General on the WDCD 2013 http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=205 Summary: With the rallying call “Don’t let our future dry up”, this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification is dedicated to highlighting the global risks of drought and water scarcity.
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With the rallying call “Don’t let our future dry up”, this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification is dedicated to highlighting the global risks of drought and water scarcity.  The social, political and economic costs of drought are evident from Uzbekistan to Brazil, from the Sahel to Australia.  In May, Namibia declared a national drought emergency, with 14 per cent of the population classified as food insecure.  In 2012, the United States experienced its worst drought since the 1950s, affecting 80 per cent of agricultural land.  In 2011 drought in the Horn of Africa – the worst since the early 1990s – affected nearly 13 million people. 

Over the past quarter-century, the world has become more drought-prone, and droughts are projected to become more widespread, intense and frequent as a result of climate change.  The long-term impacts of prolonged drought on ecosystems are profound, accelerating land degradation and desertification.  The consequences include impoverishment and the risk of local conflict over water resources and productive land.

 

Droughts are hard to avert, but their effects can be mitigated.  Because they rarely observe national borders they demand a collective response.  The price of preparedness is minimal compared to the cost of disaster relief.  Let us therefore shift from managing crises to preparing for droughts and building resilience by fully implementing the outcomes of the High-level Meeting on National Drought Policy held in Geneva last March. 

 

On this World Day to Combat Desertification, I urge the international community to fulfil the call of last year’s Rio+20 conference on sustainable development to avoid and offset land degradation.  By conserving arid lands we can protect essential water supplies, promote food and nutrition security, and reduce extreme poverty. 

 

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]]> Corinna Voigt Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:13:12 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=205 Message of the UNCCD Executive Secretay on the occasion of the WDCD 2013 http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=204 Summary: Drought claims more lives than any other disaster. Over 1.6 billion people have fallen victim since 1979. For over three decades, the international community has grappled with drought impacts and their mitigation.
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Drought claims more lives than any other disaster. Over 1.6 billion people have fallen victim since 1979.
 

For over three decades, the international community has grappled with drought impacts and their mitigation. But relief still dominates. In most cases, the response is too late. To date, only one country in the world has a comprehensive national drought policy. Why?
 
Droughts are never sudden, so why do they claim lives on par or more than sudden disasters? Why has the lack of political will to invest in systems to prepare for, respond to and manage drought and its risks persisted when communities from India to Kenya, from United States to Australia show that drought mitigation and resilience are not only viable, but affordable, options?
The most affected communities are not standing by but are leading the way to drought resilience and water security. While we pondered and planned the actions to take in the Sahel, for instance, affected communities in Niger and Burkina Faso invested in agroforestry and protected over 5 million hectares of farmland from 1975. In the latter half of this period, villagers in the Tahoua region of Niger saw a dramatic rise in the water table by as much as 14 meters, and were less vulnerable to the most recent droughts in the region.
 
In future, droughts are expected to be more severe, more frequent and more widespread due to climate change. This will impact water availability in many regions of the world. Globally, over 1 billion people live under severe water constraints. By 2030, half the global population will suffer this fate unless we act with urgency.
 
Today, we announce the winners of the 2013 Land for Life Award, to recognize innovative community initiatives that can be replicated to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable and affected populations. What is needed now are policies to attract investment to scale them up and roll them out.
 
Today, Eritrea, Hungary, Kenya, Portugal and Thailand unveil their Drylands Champions, whose zeal, drive and sacrifice keep alive the hope for a productive land heritage for children yet unborn. These are the global land heroes of our time. Against all odds, even as the new land rush soars, they are keeping up the fight for appropriate land use practices.
Investing in our resilience today costs a fraction of the relief costs we will pay tomorrow, and its benefits are worth far more. Becoming a drought-resilient global society is not only possible and affordable, it must be our first and only option.
 
 
Droughts dehumanize us all, but they are not a fate. So let us give life to the political pact we made in March in Geneva at the High Level Meeting on National Drought Policy, and set up comprehensive national drought management policies. Policies to render us proactive towards drought, and help us to measure and manage drought risks. Policies to improve public awareness and preparedness. Policies that place drought resilience and the sound management of natural resources at the heart of our national development plans.
 
Let this be our collective goal in observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification today. Don’t let our future dry up through inaction. (ends)
 

 
 
 
Click here to read the message of the UN Secretary-General
 
 
 

 

 

 

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]]> Corinna Voigt Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:01:57 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=204 UNCCD enters new partnership in the Gulf Cooperation Council http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=203 Summary: 13/06/2013, Dubai. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and Mikhael Jaime Shamis, President, World Youth Bank, have signed a partnership to mobilize resources and carry out high-level advocacy.
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​13/06/2013, Dubai. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and Mikhael Jaime Shamis, President, World Youth Bank, have signed a partnership to mobilize resources and carry out high-level advocacy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. The Exchange of Letters was signed in Dubai yesterday.

The aim is to marshal finances for the Convention’s Supplementary Trust Fund and advocate and raise awareness among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member States, including rallying celebrities to support the Convention’s cause and participate in its major events.

The partnership is backed by a resource mobilization task force to be based in Dubai with jurisdiction over the GCC member States, namely, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Task Force will be launched in the coming months.

“The establishment of this Task Force comes at an opportune moment.  We are at the half-way mark in the implementation of the Ten-Year Strategy (2008-2018) and at the beginning of implementing the outcomes on desertification, land degradation and drought agreed by world leaders last year at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio + 20. We need a renewed partnership at all levels to increase the momentum we have created for change,” said Mr. Gnacadja about the partnership.

As part of the commitment, Shamis, who will co-chair the Task Force, announced he will support the UNCCD financially and technically to translate its website into the six official languages of the United Nations before the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties taking place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 16 to 27 September 2013.

According to the agreement, the activities under the partnership agreement will be discharged with “due diligence and efficiency, and in conformity with the Rules and Regulations of the United Nations and any applicable policy of the UNCCD.”

It states further that the financial resources mobilized for the Supplementary Trust Fund will be deposited in the UNCCD account and their use will be subject to the internal auditing procedures of the United Nations and applicable UNCCD policies.

The UNCCD was established in 1992, along with the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, but has been comparatively under-resourced since its establishment.

For more information on the partnership contact:
Mr Melchiade Bukuru
Chief, UNCCD New York Liaison Office
Email: bukuru@un.org

About the UNCCD
Developed as a result of the Rio Summit in 1992, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with 195 parties, is a unique instrument that has brought global attention to land degradation and drought impacts in one of the most vulnerable ecosystems and people in the world. The UNCCD promotes sustainable development, food security and poverty reduction.

NewsSource: Melchiade Bukuru
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]]> Wagaki Mwangi Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:56:09 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=203 Land for Life http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=202 Summary: We are pleased to announce the 16 semi-finalists for the 2013 Land for Life Award.
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]]> Corinna Voigt Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:51:55 GMT http://www.unccd.int/Lists/NewsHighlightsList/DispForm.aspx?ID=202