An introduction to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

The Convention offers new hope in the struggle against desertification. Over the past two decades, the problem of land degradation in dryland regions has continued to worsen. The Convention promotes a fresh new approach to managing dryland ecosystems and - just as important - to managing development aid flows.

Desertification is caused by climate variability and human activities. In the past, drylands recovered easily following long droughts and dry periods. Under modern conditions, however, they tend to lose their biological and economic productivity quickly unless they are sustainably managed. Today, drylands on every continent are being degraded by overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices. Such overexploitation is generally caused by economic and social pressures, ignorance, war, and drought. (See fact sheet 2.)

Desertification undermines the land‘s productivity and contributes to poverty. Prime resources - fertile topsoil, vegetation cover, and healthy crops - are the first victims of desertification. The people themselves begin to suffer when food and water supplies become threatened. In the worst cases, they endure famine, mass migration, and colossal economic losses. Over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification, and some one thousand million (one billion) are at risk. (See fact sheet 3.)

The Convention to Combat Desertification will be implemented through action programmes. These programmes are the core of the Convention. At the national level, they will address the underlying causes of desertification and drought and identify measures of preventing and reversing it. National programmes will be complemented by subregional and regional programmes, particularly when transboundary resources such as lakes and rivers are involved. Action programmes are detailed in the five regional implementation annexes to the Convention -- Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Northern Mediterranean, and Central and Eastern Europe. (See fact sheet 4.)

The Convention promises to reshape the international aid process dramatically. It seeks to engage donor nations and agencies and recipient countries in a new partnership. The respective roles of donors and recipients will be worked out in partnership agreements developed through a consultative process. The aim is to ensure that funding programmes are better coordinated, that funding is based on the needs of the affected countries, that donors can be sure their funds are well spent, and that recipients obtain the maximum benefit from the sums available. (See fact sheet 5.)

Another radical departure is the strong emphasis on a “bottom-up” approach with strong local participation in decision-making. Traditionally, local communities have been relatively passive participants in development projects. Now the Convention puts them on an equal footing with other actors in the development process. Communities and their leaders, as well as non-governmental organizations, experts, and government officials, will work closely together to formulate action programmes. For this innovative and complicated process to work, awareness campaigns may be needed to inform people about the new opportunities presented by this Convention. (See fact sheet 6.)

Science and technology are vital tools in the fight against desertification. The Committee on Science and Technology, established under the Convention, promotes technological and scientific cooperation among national, subregional and regional institutions through data collection, analysis and review as well as the provision of up-to-date scientific knowledge and advice. Land degradation can be minimized by means of both new and traditional technologies, ranging from satellite monitoring to the terracing of steep hill slopes. Science and technology must respond to people‘s real needs, and the Convention encourages researchers around the world to combine their talents for this purpose. (See fact sheet 7.)

Financial resources need to be channeled and invested more efficiently. Most funding is raised domestically by the affected countries, but bilateral assistance programmes and international agencies also provide large sums. The Convention has established a Global Mechanism to promote the mobilization of financial resources. In addition, the Global Environment Facility has been designated as a financial mechanism to the Convention. To this effect, and as means to enhance the implementation of the Convention, the GEF adopted a new operational Programme (OP-15) exclusively designed to fund activities related to land degradation. Innovative funding sources, including debt swaps and private-sector financing, will also be encouraged. (See fact sheet 8.)

The Convention has established a number of institutions and procedures for guiding international action. The Convention entered into force on 26 December 1996, three months after the fiftieth country ratified it. As at September 2005, 190 countries and the European Union had ratified or acceded to it. The supreme body of the Convention is the Conference of the Parties (COP), which comprises ratifying governments and regional economic integration organizations. It is assisted in its tasks by two subsidiary bodies, the Committee on Science and Technology and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention. The COP held seven sessions up to the year 2005, the first of which was held in Rome in October 1997. The COP will continue to meet biennially in the future. (See fact sheet 9.)

Desertification is primarily a problem of sustainable development. It is a matter of addressing poverty and human well-being, as well as preserving the environment. Social and economic issues, including food security, migration, and political stability, are closely linked to land degradation and drought. So are such environmental topics as climate change, loss of biological diversity, and freshwater supplies. The Convention emphasizes the need to coordinate research efforts and action programmes for combating desertification with these related concerns. (See fact sheet 10.)