World Environment Day 2024

World Environment Day is celebrated globally on June 5th to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage action to protect the planet. This year, World Environment Day will be hosted by Saudi Arabia with the theme of “Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.”

What is this year’s theme all about?

Desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD) are growing crises affecting people and the planet. Due to the triple planetary threat from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and waste, the DLDD crisis is accelerating as land around the world continues to be degraded. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 percent of the planet’s land is already degraded, directly affecting about half of the world’s population and threatening roughly half of the global GDP (US$44 trillion).

“24 billion tonnes of fertile soil were being lost per year, largely due to unsustainable agriculture practices. If this trend continues, 95 per cent of the Earth’s land areas could become degraded by 2050.”
- Global Environment Facility

Below are some of the human causes that worsen this crisis (hover over each image to learn more):

Deforestation

By removing trees, soil is destabilised thus leading to increased levels of erosion and a marked reduction in fertility.

Poor agriculture practices

Poor agricultural practices, such as the excessive use of chemical fertilisers can lead to reduced agricultural productivity and increased soil erosion.

Water mismanagement

By misusing water resources, soil moisture is reduced, increasing salinity and degradation of arable land.

Overgrazing

Overgrazing strips vegetation cover, leaving soil exposed and vulnerable to erosion.

Regions that are severely affected by desertification, land degradation, and drought

(Hover over each image to know more)

Africa

Desertification affects around 45% of Africa’s land area, with 55% of this area at high or very high risk of further degradation.

Latin America

More than 40% of forests in Latin America have been completely deforested or degraded.

Asia

By the end of the century, the duration of moderate, severe and exceptional droughts in some regions of China will double, and drought intensity will likely increase by over 80%.

Central Asia

According to the latest UN data, over 20% of the total land area in Central Asia is degraded, equivalent to roughly 80 million hectares, an area almost four times the size of Kyrgyzstan.

Ways you can help out

Raise awareness about ways to build back better with healthy land in your area

Spread awareness on revitalising local land with sustainable methods such as organic farming practices, adopting no-till farming, replanting trees, reducing waste, etc. This will help foster a healthier environment for the community.

Practice sustainable gardening techniques

This is to help reduce soil erosion and maintain soil health. This could be expanded further as community gardens to include even more areas and people.

Reduce water consumption through water-saving practices at home

By reducing or controlling water consumption, we are helping to conserve essential water resources, reducing pressure on over-exploited water systems, and maintaining soil moisture levels necessary for healthy vegetation growth and soil stability.

Reduce waste generation and practice proper waste disposal