WDCD, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17) is observed every year to raise awareness among the citizens of this planet to combat desertification. 

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. The main reason is our activities and the changes in the climate. Deserts cover over one third of the world’s land area and they are getting exploited due to the inappropriate land use. Deforestation, poverty and bad irrigation techniques and practices undermines the land productivity. Millions of people are directly affected by desertification, and about one billion people in over one hundred countries are at risk.

Causes of Desertification are as follows:

1.     Overgrazing

2.     Deforestation

3.     Farming practices

4.     Climate change

5.     Natural disasters

Effects of Desertification are:

1.     Poverty

2.     Hunger

3.     Flooding

4.     Poor water quality

5.     Overpopulation

6.     Farming becomes impossible

Solutions for Desertification are:

1.     Sustainable practices to prevent desertification from happening

2.     Putting Together Rehabilitation Effort

Desertification is a huge problem that needs to be addressed accordingly, and if we take the time to do it now, we can prevent other problems from happening with it in the future.

EEG had launched their annual month-long paper recycling project “Recycle, Reforest, Repeat” on 18 June to observe WDCD. The objective of the project is to create awareness at the grass root level on the need to preserve the environment by engaging the community in a constructive activity with a target to accomplish. This project will requires EEG’s members to submit paper waste for recycling. I had actively participated in this recycling project and campaigned in my school and community and collected papers for recycling.

“Land has true value, invest in it”