World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024: Know the date, theme, history, and significance

By promoting sustainable land management practices and raising awareness about the importance of preserving our land, we are reminded that the health of our environment is closely linked to the well-being of our communities and the planet as a whole.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, 17 June: This international agreement brings together governments, organisations, and individuals to work together to protect the environment, promote sustainable development, and manage land resources effectively.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 Date and History: Droughts, land degradation, and desertification have become increasingly common in recent years. Owing to the growing population and its demands, it is leading to the constant diminishment of healthy land cover and the depletion of natural resources, which has resulted in more frequent droughts, floods, and wildfires.

Currently, one-third of the world’s land is degraded, which affects 3.2 billion people worldwide, thereby emphasising the seriousness of this situation and taking action to combat desertification and drought as soon as possible.

Every year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated to spread awareness about the diminishing land cover on earth and to encourage people to come together to address this pressing issue. Here is everything you need to know.

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World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024: Date and Theme

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated on June 17 annually and this year, in 2024, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is being observed on Monday, under the theme – United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future. highlighting the importance of collaborative action to preserve our planet’s vital land resources for future generations.

From Iraq and Lebanon to Somalia, Syria, Yemen and more, see how we’re working with countries in the Arab region to support sustainable land management and restoration ahead of Monday’s #DesertificationandDroughtDay.

More via @UNDPArabStates: https://t.co/nITn44EKhm pic.twitter.com/ZaLMCXVnqE

— UN Development (@UNDP) June 16, 2024

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024: History and Significance

In the early 1990s, world leaders gathered at the Rio Earth Summit to address the pressing issues of desertification, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. In response, the United Nations created the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994.

In 2007, the UN declared the decade of 2010 to 2020 the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification. This initiative aimed to raise awareness about the importance of preserving our land and to encourage collective action to combat desertification and drought.

This international agreement brings together governments, organisations, and individuals to work together to protect the environment, promote sustainable development, and manage land resources effectively.