Theme: "Drought and water scarcity"

Freshwater is valuable. Of all the water on Earth, only 2.5 per cent is freshwater. Of this freshwater, the total usable supply for ecosystems and humans is less than 1 per cent. When demand for water exceeds available supply, it results in water scarcity.

Drylands are particularly vulnerable to water scarcity. The projected intensification of freshwater scarcity will cause greater stresses in drylands. While each person needed at least 2,000 cubic meters of water for human well-being and sustainable development every year, on average, people in the drylands had access in 2013 to only 1,300 cubic meters.

The goal of the 2013 WDCD was to create awareness about the risks of drought and water scarcity in the drylands and beyond, calling attention to the importance of sustaining healthy soils as part of post United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20 agenda, as well as the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

That year’s slogan, “Don’t let our future dry up” called for everyone to take action to promote preparedness and resilience to water scarcity, desertification and drought. The slogan embodied the message that we are all responsible for water and land conservation and sustainable land use, and that there are solutions to these serious natural resource challenges. Land degradation does not have to threaten our future.

To request further information, such as WDCD messages from United Nations officials or press releases in additional languages, as well as past campaign, press or awareness raising materials, please contact secretariat [at] unccd.int (secretariat[at]unccd[dot]int) .