World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024: Date, history, significance and all you need to know

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024: Droughts, land degradation and desertification are disasters that have become frequent over the last few years. With the growing population and the demands, healthy land cover is constantly diminishing. This has further led to the depletion of natural resources, droughts, floods and wildfires. It is important to understand the severity of the situation and take action to combat desertification and drought as soon as possible. Every year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated to create awareness about the diminishing land cover on earth and urge people to come together to address the pressing issue.

As we gear up to celebrate the special day, here are a few things that we should know.

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World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 Date:

Every year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated on June 17. This year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought falls on Monday.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 History:

During the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, desertification, loss of biodiversity and climate change were recognised as the greatest challenges to sustainable development. In 1994, The UN General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - the legally binding international agreement linking environment, development and sustainable land management. In 2007, the UN General Assembly declared the decade of 2010 to 2020 as the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the fight against Desertification.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 Significance:

The theme of this year's World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is - 'United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future'. "Growing populations coupled with unsustainable production and consumption patterns fuel demand for natural resources, putting excessive pressure on land to the point of degradation. Desertification and drought are driving forced migration, putting tens of millions of people each year at risk of displacement," wrote the United Nations on their official website. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought urges people to take necessary actions against desertification and drought and reverse the damage made to the environment.