World Environment Day: Focus on desertification and drought
Dr. Iyad Abu Moghli, director and founder of the UN’s Faith for Earth Coalition, speaks to Vatican News about desertification, drought resilience, and the impact of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si.
Land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience are the main themes of this World Environment Day 2024, which is being hosted by Saudi Arabia.
The World Day, established in 1972 and celebrated every year on June 5, is a the United Nations’ primary environmental initiative.
The effects of desertification and environmental degradation
According to the UN, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded. The duration of droughts has increased, and studies claim that this may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
Dr. Iyad Abu Moghli, founder and director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Faith for Earth Initiative, gave an interview to Vatican News.
Dr. Abu Moghli explained that the primary causes of land degradation are “human activities”, that disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems.
“Desertification involves the clearing of forest for agriculture and urbanization. This leads to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of local climate. Overgrazing is another example – it strips not only vegetation but also affects the soil and exacerbates erosion”.
The Director of Faith for Earth said that improper agricultural practices, such as monoculture farming, without proper soil conservation measures, deplete the soil and increase vulnerability to erosion.
“Urbanization and building of new cities, new urban areas and of course industrial activities often result in soil contamination and habitat loss”.
Boys play in a dried up dam in Khawlan, Yemen
Targeted interventions
Dr Iyad is fully convinced that land restoration can reverse the trend of land degradation. He explained that only through targeted intervention can degraded land be rehabilitated and restored to its natural productivity and ecological function.
dried out trees in a forest
