President Emmanuel Macron of France and President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China issued the Beijing Call for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change on 6 November 2019, in which they express their full support for multilateralism in international environmental governance. The…
Disasters – from droughts and dust storms to hurricanes and floods – are becoming more frequent and more severe as our planet warms. They bring a high cost to human life, economies, and ecosystems. But how we deal with these disasters is not keeping pace.
Two major pieces of research reveal the clear and present danger biodiversity loss and climate change pose to the health, security and well-being of humanity.
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…
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, Turkey, 17 June 2019 Introduction Good morning, His Excellency Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, His Excellency Mr. Bekir Pakdemirli…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
By UNCCD Executive Secretary Ms. Monique Barbut Are you overwhelmed by the depressing news coming at you daily? Conflict, forced migrants, famine, floods, hurricanes, extinction of species, climate change, threats of war… a seemingly endless list. It might surprise you, but you can really make a…
This year on World Day to Combat Desertification, we think about the real value of land. Not just its economic value. Land is worth so much more than that. It defines our way of life and our culture – whether we live in the city or the villages. It purifies the water we drink. It feeds us. It…
Promoting sustainable land use unifies our voices for bird conservation Birds are highly sensitive to their environments. With 30 per cent of the land now degraded, the long journeys migratory birds fly every year across continents to find food, breeding and rearing grounds are becoming ever more…
The new UNCCD weblog is designed for scientists, experts, practitioners, policy-makers and journalists to share their insights, expertise and ideas with other UNCCD stakeholders. It is also a means for the UNCCD to reach out to the general public and promote specific issues of interest in an…
Ordos, 6 September 2017 Time for the Butterfly to Flap its Wings Friends, Focal Points, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Ordos. Allow me to extend my sincere thanks to the Govt. of the People’s Republic of China for their warm and efficient welcome. When in China and when you want to…
This Earth Day, we invite you to take your children outside, into nature, to strengthen their connection with the environment. It is the best way to motivate them to protect it. The effects of climate change are not always obvious to us. Yet, they are undeniable. It is easier to see the harmful…
The effects of the El Nino drought of 2015-2016 are barely over and we have a new emergency. More than 20 million people in northern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen are currently at risk of starvation. It could become the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of United Nations in…
