World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on 17 June to spread awareness among people about the cooperation required to combat desertification and the effects of drought.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

The day is held to make the public aware about the problems of desertification, land degradation and drought, and how they can tackle it.

The day also aims to educate individuals about community participation and cooperation at all levels, and to strengthen implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Theme of 2020: #Food.Feed.Fibre. – the links between consumption and land

This year’s observance is focused on changing public attitudes to the leading driver of land degradation: humanity’s relentless production and consumption.

As populations become larger, wealthier and more urban, there is far greater demand for land to provide food, animal feed and fibre for clothing. Meanwhile, the health and productivity of existing arable land is declining, worsened by climate change.

Clothing and footwear production causes 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure predicted to rise almost 50 per cent by 2030.

Desertification: It is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly more arid.