Holding the front line against desertification – Global Issues

All over the world, young and old are responding to this threat by adopting new ways of working in the world that may not only prevent further destruction but may also provide new livelihood opportunities.

The issue of desertification, drought and land restoration is being discussed at the global meeting of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which continues in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until 13 December.

Drawing a line in the sand in Madagascar

In the south of the island of Madagascar on the east coast of Africa, productive land has been lost at an alarming rate to sand driven inland across farmland by strong seasonal winds.

The communities that live here are among the most vulnerable people in Madagascar and as the sandy soil they farm is deteriorating, they are no longer able to farm their land and their lives are at risk.

But now, with the support of the UN, communities have been planting sisal plants, which are resistant to harsh conditions and adapted to a very dry environment.

When planted in grids, they can help protect topsoil and prevent further erosion. This means fewer sandstorms and more opportunities to work the land.

“Before, there was nothing here on this land, just sand. So, we could not plant our crops. But now, we have planted a male which has been good in the area,” said Lydia Monique Anjarasoa.

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Replanting the desert in Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Ibrahim Alissa described how the dry land he grew up in north of the country’s capital, Riyadh, was degraded and he suffered the consequences of desertification.

The country falls within the rocky Thadiq National Park, known for its sweeping valleys. As its current manager, Mr. Alissa took on a 660-square-kilometer park renewal project. This has involved the planting of 250,000 trees and a million trees and the construction of square dams to catch the odd rainwater in the area.

“With the reforestation, protection and maintenance programs, the area has completely changed,” said Mr Alissa.

Restoring Thadiq National Park is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader plan to reclaim the vast desert at home and abroad. The campaign is designed to address drought, desertification and land degradation, which threaten countries in West Asia and North Africa.

Three-quarters of the region’s arable land has already been degraded, and 60 percent of the population already suffers from water shortages, a number that will increase by 2050.

Saudi Arabia has partnered with the UNCCD to launch a global plan for the G20, which aims to reduce the destruction of the earth by 50 percent by 2040.

Hope for a harvest in Niger

Climate change, land degradation, rising prices and conflict have made the already challenging lives of farmers in Africa’s Sahel region even more vulnerable, but communities have come together, with the support of the World Food Program’s (WFP) integrated energy stabilization program, to cultivate a better life.

Foreiyratou Saidou, a single mother of four and recently widowed in the Tilaberi region of Niger, is one of the three million people in the region who have benefited from the program, which promotes land regeneration, lifestyle diversification, school meals, nutrition interventions and improvement. agricultural production and market access.

“In this garden we plant and harvest onions, tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables that we can eat and sell in the local market,” he said. Before, we didn’t have much to live for. Now we’re leaving, and we don’t want to leave.”

With better access to markets, Ms. Saidou is able to sell the food she does not eat at home and provide for her children.