Land Restoration and Water Resource Conservation: A Global Imperative
| Dr. Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General, marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought by warning of the far-reaching impacts of land degradation and drought on water resources, food security, and communities’ livelihoods. He called for a renewed global commitment to restoring degraded lands and placing local communities at the heart of policies and actions related to sustainable land management. |
In his message marking the occasion, he described desertification, land degradation, and drought as among the most significant challenges of our time. He stressed that these phenomena threaten not only ecosystems, the quantity and quality of water resources, food systems, and communities’ livelihoods, but also the knowledge systems and ways of life that have evolved over generations through interaction with the land.
Referring to this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought theme, “Rangelands: Know, Respect, Restore,” the UNESCO Director-General emphasized the vital role of rangelands in enhancing resilience to climate change, ensuring food security, sustainably managing water resources, conserving biodiversity, and safeguarding the cultural heritage and identity of pastoralist and Indigenous communities.
He added that rangelands and the communities that protect and sustainably manage them hold a special place in UNESCO’s work. More than 2,260 UNESCO-designated sites, including World Heritage properties, biosphere reserves, and UNESCO Global Geoparks, support the livelihoods of approximately 900 million people. Pastoralists make up a significant proportion of this population and have a presence and play an important role in around one-tenth of these sites.
Dr. Khaled El-Enany also highlighted the role of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program and Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP) in addressing land degradation and desertification. He noted that these programs help strengthen community resilience and protect natural resources by promoting integrated approaches to the sustainable management of ecosystems and water resources, as well as developing drought forecasting and early warning systems.
The UNESCO Director-General concluded by calling for a renewed commitment to restoring degraded lands, protecting water resources, and safeguarding soil. He emphasized that local communities must be at the heart of all efforts and actions related to sustainable land management.
