Statements
Forest fires, droughts, flashfloods and storms: Unusual trends are destroying lives and and making the public jittery because ignorance is no longer excusable, yet policy action seems too slow.
COP14 à New Delhi : "chaque jour d'action compte pour notre survie", plaide Ibrahim Thiaw.. Le sous-secrétaire général de l'ONU et secrétaire exécutif de la Convention des Nations unies sur la lutte contre la désertification s'alarme de la dégradation des terres. Le sujet est au menu de la COP14 à New Delhi. Deutsche Welle 3.09.2019
The IPCC's report on land use and climate change adds another perspective, or piece of the puzzle, to understanding what humans are doing to the planet and how we might be able to limit our damage to the Earth.
Ibrahim Thiaw Under Secretary-General & Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification World Day of Combat Desertification Ankara, Türkiye, 17 June 2019 Introduction Good morning, His Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Türkiye, His Excellency Mr. Bekir Pakdemirli, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of everyone at UNCCD: Thank you for joining us for the World Day to Combat Desertification. And, in particular, many thanks to the Government and people of Türkiye for hosting this special 25th Anniversary edition. It’s said that a cup of Turkish coffee will be remembered for 40 years. Both for the taste, And for the lifelong friends you make while savoring the moment. I’ve made many friends over a cup of coffee, but my colleagues will tell you it always comes with a reminder that: Like so many things we take for granted, Such a simple gesture reflects how our choices have an impact that ripples across incredibly complex and connected lifecycles. Right now, that impact is damaging the health of our planet and ourselves. Making it the responsibility for anyone who wants to ensure we all have equal rights: To eat, to drink and to breathe; To make our home in a town, in the country or even just in security; To access jobs, education, technology, medicine or investment. Simply, to live. Eating & drinking (agriculture) First, think about what it takes to feed 7.5 billion people. Only 20% of the planet is habitable, yet within our own lifetimes: 1 out of every 4 hectares of productive land has become unusable. 3 out of every 4 hectares have been altered from their natural state And while agriculture drives that change, we waste a third of the food we produce. So, how are we going to Increase food production by 50%, Even as crop yields decrease by 50% in some regions because of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss? Well, just as the damage comes from many pockets of local activity, so can the solutions. We’ve seen how well land responds in Türkiye’s Central Anatolia region. And thank you very much for this wonderful video you have shown. As Karapinar’s vegetation vanished, so did the soil and then the people. But reforestation, irrigated farming, pastures and bee keeping are restoring both the soil’s organic structure and the local communities. Combining more traditional knowledge, faith communities and technology in that way, that could restore 150 million hectares of farmland by 2030. Generating up to 40 billion US dollars in extra income for smallholders, Feeding another 200 million people, And sinking several gigatons of carbon dioxide. Even better, if we can scale it up across all of our degraded land, we can create new opportunities for the next generation. Making a home (urban growth) That’s important for my second point – helping people enjoy stable homes. Today, half the population lives in urban areas, which consume resources: Requiring an area 200 times the size of the city to produce. And damaging people and places too often out of sight and out of mind. That adds to the pressure on: The half the population living with difficulties of land degradation. And the half already living with water scarcity. In turn, making it almost inevitable that even more rural communities will migrate towards towns and cities, and refuel that cycle. Which is where land restoration reveals its true strength. Because restoration and restoring the two billion hectares of land already damaged: will help meet that growing demand from urban areas. and create sustainable jobs and stabilize vulnerable rural areas. Look at Africa’s Sustainability, Stability and Security Initiative. Or Triple S for its friends. The UNCCD, a dozen countries and some amazing partners, are tackling the root causes of these issues. Our aim is: To increase the productivity of 10 million hectares; To create two million green jobs for vulnerable groups; And to prevent further displacement by improving land rights and planning for natural disasters. But again, what we need to do now is scale this up. Equality (poverty & gender) Which brings me to my third and final point. Because to achieve that scale, we must: Not only use all of our incredibly diverse resources, But also ensure the benefits are evenly distributed. Over a billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty since this Convention was formed, but exploitation of natural resources continues to widen the poverty gap instead of reducing it. And, while women are key to closing that gap, 90% of countries legally restrict their economic activity. For example, they make up 40% of farm workers, But only one in five women own their land and even fewer control it. Yet, lifting such restrictions would add 240 million jobs and $28 trillion to the economy by 2025. That’s like another US economy – and then some – within just six years. Which is why, the UNCCD Gender Action Plan promotes: More participation in decision making; More economic and legal empowerment; And more access to resources, education and technology. There is a social tipping point when women’s participation reaches 30%. And we need to reach it quickly, to avoid reaching a tipping point for land, biodiversity or climate. Conclusion Which means, dear colleagues, That instead of causing damage costing: The global economy nearly $20 trillion a year And global warming even more. We must take action to repay our debt to nature and restore our land. Generating a tenfold return on our investment. Multiplying the benefits of the Sustainable Development Goals. Growing together in a virtuous cycle where everyone contributes and everyone benefits. Late Hama Arba Diallo, the first Executive Secretary of UNCCD once said that “Success is never granted and there is always a reason to it.” This Convention still takes nothing for granted and is determined to highlight the many reasons why land management can and must improve. I’m happy to say that some old friends will join us for the roundtable to share their experience on how to do that. And I want to thank them for all they did for those 25 years. But I warn you, there’s another break before then: And UNCCD is the only international Treaty protecting our land, We welcome all the friends we can get. So, I will see you all for coffee to learn more about your actions to restore healthy land and an even healthier future. I wish you all a happy 25th Anniversary. Thank you. Read more: Celebrate #2019WDCD
The past 50 years has seen unprecedented exploitation and destruction of the land, which produces the food that sustains each and every one of us. Over one third of the earth’s land is severely degraded and fertile soil is being lost at the rate of 24 billion tonnes a year, in part due to unsustainable agriculture and climate change.
As we take action to manage our land resources in a sustainable way, let’s also protect all the living creatures that the healthy land supports and depends on. On this World Migratory Bird Day, let's remind ourselves about everyday contributions that all of us can make to ensure the health of the planet and its inhabitants, including birds. Healthy land relies on migratory birds just as much as they depend on it to feed, breed and rest during long journeys. In exchange, birds pollinate plants, carry seeds and control pests. Keeping land free from plastic pollution is a way to protect migratory birds and their habitats. While disposable plastic products are often used for their main purpose only briefly, discarded plastic can linger on Earth for hundreds of years, killing birds that get entangled in plastic debris or swallow them. When we keep plastic waste away from natural habitats, we benefit a myriad of living organisms. Be assured that they will return the favor by keeping our planet healthy and beautiful. Read more: Messages from the Executive Secretary
By Ibrahim Thiaw, Under-Secretary General of the UN and Executive Secretary of UNCCD Science and technology offer exciting pathways for rural women to tackle the challenges they face daily. Innovative solutions for rural women can, for example, reduce their workload, raise food production and increase their participation in the paid labour market. But even the very best innovative, gender-appropriate technology makes no sense without access to other critical resources, especially secure land rights, which women in rural areas need to flourish. Land degradation and drought affect, at least, 169 countries. The poorest rural communities experience the severest impacts. For instance, women in areas affected by desertification, easily spend four times longer each day collecting water, fuelwood and fodder. Moreover, these impacts have very different effects on men and women. In the parts of Eritrea impacted most by desertification, for example, the working hours for women exceed those of men by up to 30 hours per week. Clearly, poor rural women would benefit the most from new ways of working on the land. Therefore, technology and innovation must benefit women and men equally for it to work well for society. Even more so at a time when technology is becoming critical to manage the growing threats of desertification, land degradation and drought. In Türkiye, for instance, farmers can get information on when to plant in real time, using an application installed on a mobile phone.[1] However, in most parts of the world, the adoption rates of technology are especially low among rural women, possibly because very often technologies are not developed with rural women land users in mind.[2] For example, a wheelbarrow can reduce the time spent on water transport by 60 per cent. But its weight and bulk makes it physically difficult for most African women to use.[3] The demand for technology design that meets rural women’s specific needs is great. But developing appropriate technology is not enough, if the pre-requisites for technology uptake, in particular access to land, credit and education, are not in place.[4] Today, a web of laws and customs in half the countries on the planet [5] undermine women’s ability to own, manage, and inherit the land they farm. In nearly many developing countries, laws do not guarantee the same inheritance rights for women and men.[6] In many more countries, with gender equitable laws, local customs and practices that leave widows landless are tolerated. For instance, a 2011 study carried out in Zambia shows that when a male head of household dies, the widow only gets, on average, one-third of the area she farmed before.[7] The impact of such changes on the world’s roughly 258 million widows and the 584 million children who depend on them is significant.[8] It leaves us all worse off. Globally, women own less land and have less secure rights over land than men.[9] Secure access to land increases women’s economic security, but it has far greater benefits for society more generally. Women who own or inherit land also control the decisions that impact their land, such as the uptake of new technology. A study in Rwanda shows that recipients of land certificates are twice as likely to increase their investment in soil conservation relative to others. And, if women got formal land rights, they were more likely to engage in soil conservation.[10] Initiatives that benefit rural women do not stop at the household or local levels. At scale, such investments have a huge global impact. If women all over the world had the same access as men to resources for agricultural production, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30 per cent. This could raise the total agricultural output in developing countries substantially at national scales, and reduce the number of undernourished people in the world by 12 to 17 per cent.[11] If we want to tackle the underlying causes of gender inequality, to build smart and innovate for change, then technology is good. Innovative, gender appropriate technology is better. But these will have little impact if the pre-requisites for its uptake by women, in particular access to land, credit and education, are non-existent. References: Reuters, 2015, article by Manipadma Jena. Türkiye's plan to help farmers adapt to climate change? Ask a tablet Theis, Sophie et al. (2018): What happens after technology adoption? Gendered aspects of small-scale irrigation technologies in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania. Agricultural and Human Values Ashby, Jacqueline et al ( n.d.) Investing in Women as Drivers of Agricultural Growth, p.3 FAO/IFPRI (2014): Gender specific approaches, rural institutions, and technological innovations, p. 13 et seq, p. 4. Huyer, Sophia, 2016: Closing the Gender Gap in Agriculture, Gender, Technology and Development 20(2) 105–116, p. 108 Huyer, Sophia, 2016: Closing the Gender Gap in Agriculture, Gender, Technology and Development 20(2) 105–116, p. 108 Chapoto, Antony et al. (2011): Widows’ Land Security in the Era of HIV/AIDS: Panel Survey Evidence from Zambia," Economic Development and Cultural Change 59, no. 3 511-547 Coughenour Betancourt Amy (2018): The Green Revolution reboot: Women’s land rights UN Women, Facts & Figures Ali, D.A. et al (2011): Environmental and Gender Impacts of Land Tenure Regularization in Africa: Pilot Evidence from Rwanda. 28 pp. Sanjak, Jolyne (2018): Women’s Land Rights Can Help Grow Food Security FAO (2011): Closing the gender gap in agriculture
Dear UNCCD Focal Points and stakeholders, I am pleased that my first message as the UNCCD Executive Secretary to you is about a very festive occasion. 17 June 2019 will mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The day has been celebrated as the World Day to Combat Desertification since 1995, a year after the Convention was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994. We would like to use this event as an opportunity to renew our collective commitment to restore the productivity of over 2 billion hectares of degraded land and improve the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people around the world. Under the slogan « Let's grow the future together,” we will celebrate the 25 years of progress made by countries and people in sustainable land management. At the same time, we will take a look at the broad picture of the next 25 years where land degradation neutrality would hopefully be achieved as per SDG target 15.3. How do we envision the world where land degradation neutrality provides a solid basis for poverty reduction, food and water security and climate change mitigation and adaptation? The concept note, logo and other materials are available on our website. The World Day to Combat Desertification page will be constantly updated. I invite you to send us your plans to celebrate the Day to the following email address: WDCD2019@unccd.int. In particular, I encourage all UNCCD National Focal Points to report on the observance events planned in their country. The global observance of Day and the 25th anniversary of the Convention will be hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in Ankara, Türkiye. The event will be held in conjunction with the 19th International Soil Congress. The 2019 Land for Life Award will be open for nominations soon to give global recognition to individuals, groups and countries that have made a significant and lasting contribution for achieving SDGs through sustainable land management over the past 25 years or longer. For further inquiries, please contact Ms. Yukie Hori (yhori@unccd.int, +49 228 815 2829), Communication team leader/Spokesperson – External Relations, Policy and Advocacy Unit. We look forward to celebrating the WDCD with you and reaching more people than ever before! Ibrahim Thiaw Executive Secretary
World Soil Day is commemorated every 5 December to remind us that soil is important for both the natural system and human well-being. Our laxity in taking care of the soil partly comes from the assumption that land is abundant. It is also because most of us are no longer directly reliant on the land. Thus, both the produce from the land and the negative impacts of degrading land are often far removed from our reality. This indirect link between us and land degradation also means that most of the solutions to these problems are quick fixes that address the symptoms, but not the real, underlying causes. Soil pollution is a form of land degradation. It is pervasive in most of the developed countries due to the extensive and long-term use of agricultural inputs, for instance, and is a problem in many developing countries as well. Soil pollution can short-circuit the natural processes that help to form fertile and productive soil. The extraction of minerals and careless disposal of waste are also key sources of soil pollution. A polluted soil is a degraded soil, which negatively impacts land cover, plant productivity, survival of biological diversity, ground water quality and sources, and the organic carbon in the soil. Ultimately, it harms people’s health. In 2013, governments agreed on five indicators for monitoring land degradation in all these areas. So far, 145 countries have officially submitted reports that monitor these changes. In January 2019, governments and other stakeholders will meet in Georgetown, Guyana, to examine where and how their interventions helped to avoid, reduce or reverse land degradation, and where more work is needed. These results can point countries towards solutions to all forms of land degradation, including soil pollution. The use of Earth Observations, which combines satellite imagery and data gathered from the ground, will help ordinary people to “see” not just where land is degraded but how seriously it is degraded. The physical monitoring of land degradation will help countries to find targeted solutions. Such a holistic approach that combines monitoring through actual measurement and targeted action will enable the international community to resolve many of the global challenges linked to soil and land degradation. Governments now only have the tools they need to improve soil quality effectively, and achieve land degradation neutrality; that is, avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation to ensure the productive land that was available in 2015 stays stable by 2030 and beyond. Adequate finance to meet these goals remains a critical challenge. But with these new tools, countries and populations affected by land degradation can put the limited resources available to them to maximum use, and revitalize the land and boost the resilience of their communities. These are positive developments worth sharing to address soil pollution in our commemoration of the World Soil Day this year.
The Earth is fragile and changing, and no single government has sufficient resources to help communities fully adapt to the changes and then recover after an environmental disaster. It is a growing but ominous reality. The cost and number of climate related disasters is rising. The total cost of the damage from environmental disasters between 2005 and 2014 was more than $1.4 trillion. Read more This opinion co-authored by Ms. Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary, Mr. Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer at the Agence de développement Française, Mr. Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President at European Investment Bank and Mr. Philippe Zaouati, Chief Executive Officer of Mirova.