Desertification under spotlight

DESERTIFICATION is a significant problem for the Northern Cape and South Africa as a whole, threatening not only the country’s ecological integrity but also the well-being of its people.

This is according to the MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform, Rural Development, Environment and Nature Conservation, Nomandla Bloem, who was speaking at the observance of World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) in Warrenton on Friday.

The 2019 WDCD event will be celebrated under the theme “25 Years of implementation of the convention and beyond” - focusing on the path the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has taken, and the future the convention could bring”.

This year’s slogan is “Let’s grow the future together”.

The convention calls for a commitment to good land stewardship in terms of achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) and helping communities and countries to create wealth and grow economies while securing enough food, water and energy as well as strengthening resilience of ecosystems and communities to climate change.

Desertification threatens the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people located in nearly 2 billion hectares of land in 170 countries. Every year 12 million hectares of arable land is lost through drought.

Worldwide, approximately half of the people living below the poverty line reside in drylands and are particularly vulnerable as a result of dryland ecosystem conditions and poverty.

The WDDC Awards Ceremony was held in Warrenton on Friday. MEC Bloem said that the day was aimed at promoting public awareness on issues related to desertification, land degradation and the effects of drought (DLDD).

“Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Desertification is a significant problem for the Northern Cape and our country as a whole. It is threatening not only our ecological integrity, but the well-being of our people. The day is observed as a unique occasion to remind everybody that desertification and land degradation can be effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, and this day can also be used as a tool to strengthen community participation and co-operation at all levels,” Bloem said.