1000 Flowers for the Planet - #534 Observe World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #534 Observe World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Desertification is a serious problem across the globe, affecting billions of people. It is caused when trees and plants are removed from the soil when land is cleared for timber or cultivation. Without the trees the soil has nothing to bind it together. Grazing animals can deplete grass and their hooves erode away the topsoil. Persistent farming also depletes nutrients in the soil. Wind and water erosion aggravate the damage, carrying away topsoil and leaving behind a highly infertile mix of dust and sand. It is the combination of these factors that transforms degraded land into desert, which in turn affects people’s ability to grow food. Drought and desertification are causing the loss of 12 million hectares of arable land every year, where, for example, 20 million tons of grain could have been grown. So the United Nations has declared 17 June World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in order to promote awareness of this problem all around the world and to prompt a combined effort by people everywhere to take action to avoid and prevent the problem. Check out more information at: http://www.un.org/en/events/desertificationday/