UNITED NATIONS, Jun 17 (APP):UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the world loses 24 billion tons of fertile land to desertification every year, and that the degradation in land quality is responsible for a reduction in the national domestic product of up to eight per cent every year. “Desertification, land degradation and drought are major threats affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly women and children,” he said In a …
World loses 24 billion tons of land to desertification every year: UN chief
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 17 (APP):UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the world loses 24 billion tons of fertile land to desertification every year, and that the degradation in land quality is responsible for a reduction in the national domestic product of up to eight per cent every year.
“Desertification, land degradation and drought are major threats affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly women and children,” he said In a video message marking the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
Guterres said that it is time to “urgently” change such trends, adding that protecting and restoring land can “reduce forced migration, improve food security and spur economic growth”, as well as helping to address the “global climate emergency”.
