There is a lot of talk about getting back to normal after the COVID-19 crisis is over. And yet normal – business as usual – is what has made our planet and our societies vulnerable to crises in the first place.
An interview by UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim with Deusche Welle about the land use change, zoonosis and the call for a new social contract for nature. Read more...
50 years ago people mobilized the world to demand a new social contract with nature. Earth Day was born. Today, our social contract is put in jeopardy. The current COVID-19 crisis is showing how much we depend on each other as well as on other species and nature for our health, food systems and…
La majorité des nouvelles maladies infectieuses humaines sont transmises par des animaux dont nous détruisons l’environnement, explique Ibrahim Thiaw, le secrétaire exécutif de la Convention des Nations unies sur la lutte contre la désertification.
Great strides have been made in women’s rights around the world. But we are not there yet. To fully realize women’s rights and potential, this generation must stand up and demand tangible equality
For the last decade, bioenergy has been confined to the sidelines of climate-policy debates, owing to the environmental problems associated with its production. But recent innovations have made this option for supplying sustainable, renewable energy not just viable, but necessary.
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.
… 25 years of protecting our land, biodiversity and climate … Ibrahim Thiaw Under Secretary-General & Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification World Day of … ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of everyone at UNCCD: Thank you for joining us for the World Day to Combat …
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…
