Experts from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UN Security Council) believe large-scale land reclamation is necessary, NAN's World reports.
To date, 40% of the planet's areas have been affected, including agriculture, mining, urbanization and inefficient land use and water use. For example, more than 70% of the country is used for food production or the extraction of sand, oil and gas.
Modern agriculture has changed the face of the planet more than any other human activity. We urgently need to think about global food systems that are depleting 80% of the forests and using 70% of the whole planet's fresh water to irrigate the fields. Overall, this leads to a loss of biodiversity.
Ibrahim Thiau
UN Secretary General
Negative factors are population growth and the energy transition, which means that by 2050 another 11% of arable land could lose fertility if no urgent action is taken.
We can do something about land degradation, and it's the cheapest solution to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. We can solve the problem by 2050, in other words, within a generation. This requires restrictions on the use of chemical fertilizers and water, and on afforestation.
Ibrahim Thiau
UN Secretary General