Stop 'vandalizing' Earth and help planet thrive, UN chief urges

“Every second, around four football fields of healthy soil are degraded,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“The security, prosperity and health of billions of people depend on thriving lands that support life, livelihoods and ecosystems, but we are vandalizing the Earth that supports us. »

Desertification, land degradation and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges today.

United for the earth

The theme of the day is United for the earth. Our heritage. Our futurehighlighting the future of land management, which is the planet’s most valuable resource to ensure stability and prosperity for billions of people around the world.

Healthy lands not only provide us with nearly 95 percent of the world’s food, but much more. It clothes and shelters people, provides jobs and livelihoods, and protects communities from worsening droughts, floods, and wildfires.

“As the central theme of this year’s World Day reminds us, we must be ‘united for the earth’,” he said. “Governments, businesses, academics, communities and many others must come together and act. »

“We know what we have to do”

Population growth, combined with unsustainable production and consumption patterns, fuels demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land, to the point of degrading it.

At the same time, desertification and drought are leading to forced migration, putting tens of millions of people at risk of displacement each year.

Of the world’s eight billion people, more than a billion young people under the age of 25 live in developing countries, particularly in regions that directly depend on land and natural resources for their livelihoods. Creating employment prospects for rural populations is a viable solution that allows young people to access eco-entrepreneurship opportunities and at the same time generalize best practices.

“We know what we have to do,” the UN chief said. “This is clearly stated in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). As we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention, the world must significantly accelerate the pace of its implementation.

To do this, he stressed the need to create momentum ahead of the Conference of States Parties to the UNCCD (COP16) in Riyadh and ensure that young people are heard in the negotiations.

“Together, let’s sow the seeds of a prosperous future for nature and humanity,” he said.

Fast facts

NOOR for FAO/Benedicte Kurzen

In Senegal, women work in nurseries created as part of the Great Green Wall initiative to improve living conditions, biodiversity conservation and land sustainability in the Sahel region.

Every second, the equivalent of four football fields of healthy soil degrades, which represents a total of 100 million hectares each year.
Every dollar invested in land restoration can yield up to $30 in return
In many countries affected by desertification, land degradation and drought, agriculture represents a significant share of economic income.
Under the UNCCD, more than 130 countries have already committed to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030, towards a world where human activity has a neutral, or even positive, impact on land.
The UN supports innovative efforts around the world, including the new Great Green Wall Observatory, which tracks progress on Africa’s largest land restoration initiative to combat land degradation, desertification and the negative impacts of climate change in the Sahel region.
UN education. The Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has established a growing network of national and global “geoparks” combining conservation and sustainable development, with 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks operating in 48 countries and already counting more than 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks.
Learn more about UN assistance here