The World Atlas of Desertification summarizes the current state of scientific knowledge on the drylands of the globe. The Atlas clearly shows that desertification is one of the world's most pressing environmental problems, and that it is a global issue which is accelerating. The global extent of the problem of desertification was indicated in the first edition of the World Atlas of Desertification published by UNEP in 1992.

The new edition has been extensively revised and expanded to cover related environmental issues, including concerns surrounding biodiversity, climate change and the availability of water.
Social and economic conditions (poverty and food security) also have a major impact on the progress and control of desertification. Over one billion people are at risk - they face malnutrition, or worse, through decreasing productivity of the soil on which they depend for food. The Atlas includes new estimates of population in the areas at risk and also includes a study of the impacts of desertification on migration and refugees.