This day, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme, highlights the urgent need to preserve and restore our planet’s ecosystems.
Under the slogan of our lands. Our future. We are #RestorationGeneration, the campaign highlights the importance of restoring land, halting desertification and enhancing resilience to drought, one of the most serious threats facing terrestrial ecosystems.
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40% of the planet’s land area is degraded, a fact that directly affects half of the world’s population.
Figures show that since 2000, the number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent, and it is expected that if urgent action is not taken, drought could affect more than three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
The UNEP statement on this occasion addresses ecosystems around the world and their degradation: from forests and arid lands to agricultural lands and lakes.
These natural spaces are essential for human survival and have reached the point of no return.
The report warned that desertification and land degradation not only affect biodiversity, but also endanger the food security, water resources and economic well-being of millions of people.
The analysis finds that to mitigate these impacts, soil restoration is essential.
This includes reforestation, revitalizing water sources, and improving soil health.
Global actions to protect soils form part of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), which seeks to protect and revitalize ecosystems around the world, thus contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
World Environment Day 2024 also marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
The United Nations Environment Program notes that this World Environment Day is a call for collective action to ensure that our lands and future are protected for future generations.
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