World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

WORLD DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT

To promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification, the United Nations (UN) designated June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone the land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement and co-operation at all levels. With the theme “Land has true value – Invest in it “, the focus of this year’s celebration is on sustainable land management as a way to improve economies, generate jobs, and revitalize communities.

Taking advantge of today, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) posted a new post on their blog about  how climate-smart agriculture promotes sustainable land management taking as example Souteast Asia.

As stated in their blog, CCAFS advocates for climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a tool to address poverty and reduce climate-related impacts. CSA aims to enhance soil health in order to achieve productivity and at the same time adapt to and mitigate climate change. A variety of CSA technologies and practices have been developed to prevent erosion and nutrient loss, improve fertility and soil water availability, and to maximize soil’s potential as a carbon sink.

Through its Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs), CCAFS Southeast Asia promotes sustainable land management with farmers in Vietnam. In Ma CSV and nearby areas, a cassava-cowpea-forage grass intercropping system is being practiced to prevent soil erosion and land degradation. A CCAFS study found that the intercropping system improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation and grass barriers. A second system, the acacia-based agroforestry system, was introduced to farmers in My Loi CSV. Acacia can effectively prevent soil erosion and improve moisture levels when integrated with other perennials and harvested selectively, rather than clear-cut with short-term rotations. Acacia is also a nitrogen-fixing species, which improves soil fertility.

If you want to know more about the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought do not hesitate to check UN’s webpage.

See you soon,

Laia