In his message on the World Day to Combat Desertification, the High Representative noted that “the security, prosperity and health of billions of people depend on the prosperity of lands that support life, livelihoods and ecosystems.”
The UN Secretary-General called for a united response when he warned that about four football fields with healthy soil were deteriorating every second.
“Governments, companies, academics, communities and others must come together and act. We know what we need to do: it is clearly stated in the UN Convention to Combat Desertification,” he said.
The UN Secretary-General also called for generating momentum towards the upcoming COP16, scheduled to be held at the end of the year in Saudi Arabia, as well as ensuring that the voice of youth is heard in the negotiations.
“Together, let us sow the seeds of a prosperous future: for nature and humanity,” he concluded.
According to UN figures, every dollar invested in land restoration could generate up to $30 while nearly three billion people are affected by desertification.
More than 130 UN member states have committed to neutralizing land degradation by 2030 by signing the UN Convention to combat it.
The purpose of this instrument is to create a world in which human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on soils.
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