How to combat desertification and drought

Ranjan K Baruah
Contd from previous issue
 Everyone has a role to play because everyone has a stake in the future.
It is a global issue, with serious implications worldwide for biodiversity, eco-safety, poverty eradication, socio-economic stability and sustainable development. Some 50 million people may be displaced within the next 10 years as a result of desertification. Some two billion people depend on ecosystems in dry land areas, 90% of whom live in developing countries. All of us must take action though it may not affect all the places equally as some are having more threat than others. But the fact is our agricultural practices and climate change is bringing more questions and more challenges.   There are possible actions which should combat desertification and this includes - reforestation and tree regeneration, water management, enrichment and hyper-fertilization of soil through planting, etc. Current commitments from over 100 countries specify the restoration of almost 1 billion hectares of land over the next decade – an area almost the size of China. If we restore this land, we can deliver massive benefits for people and the planet.
We must raise awareness about ways to build back better with healthy land in our area. We must ensure that land is not degraded in and around our areas.  We can be an advocate for promoting sound policy for nature and economic recovery and get involved and involve others. We can contribute to ecosystem restoration and a stronger recovery from the pandemic. Let us make a difference when there is time because climate change has already brought many questions in front of us than answers.
(With direct inputs from UN publication and feedbacks may be sent to bkranjan@gmail)