Beni Abbes Oasis
International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Desertification poses clear and serious risks to all of humanity. It affects the fertility of soils which, in certain regions, lose almost half of their productivity due to the shrinkage of arable land. As a result, the livelihoods of more than a billion people are compromised by desertification. Recognizing the urgent need to address the vast ramifications of the problem, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2006 to be the “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”. To do this, the UN entrusted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) with coordinating, in 2006, the combat strategy in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as well as other relevant United Nations agencies.
Desertification, which is an environmental problem, contributes to food insecurity, hunger, and can give rise to social, economic and political tensions which, in turn, lead to conflicts and increased poverty linked to land degradation. Desertification represents a serious danger, hence the important need to develop and implement an action and combat plan, also raising awareness among scientists to get involved against this phenomenon which has a cross-border nature. For its part, Algeria, a large part of its territory is desert, and which currently chairs the Deserts of the World Foundation, adopted in 1999 the United Nations Convention on the fight against desertification, recognized as an instrument of development, and proceeded with the implementation of the national plan to combat this phenomenon. This convention also aims to increase citizen awareness of the dangers of desertification and to involve civil society in this fight, aware that it is the fundamental basis of sustainable development. The strategy to combat desertification encompasses a long-term program through the application of an integrated development policy in which our country is fully committed.
The public authorities have also put in place means of monitoring the desertification process through the initiation of a network of observatories and the use of space tools which will ultimately make it possible to decide on the actions to be taken against desertification and for the objective of sustainable development.
Desertification poses clear and serious risks to all of humanity. It affects the fertility of soils which, in certain regions, lose almost half of their productivity due to the shrinkage of arable land. As a result, the livelihoods of more than a billion people are compromised by desertification. Recognizing the urgent need to address the vast ramifications of the problem, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2006 to be the “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”. To do this, the UN entrusted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) with coordinating, in 2006, the combat strategy in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as well as other relevant United Nations agencies.
Desertification, which is an environmental problem, contributes to food insecurity, hunger, and can give rise to social, economic and political tensions which, in turn, lead to conflicts and increased poverty linked to land degradation. Desertification represents a serious danger, hence the important need to develop and implement an action and combat plan, also raising awareness among scientists to get involved against this phenomenon which has a cross-border nature. For its part, Algeria, a large part of its territory is desert, and which currently chairs the Deserts of the World Foundation, adopted in 1999 the United Nations Convention on the fight against desertification, recognized as an instrument of development, and proceeded with the implementation of the national plan to combat this phenomenon. This convention also aims to increase citizen awareness of the dangers of desertification and to involve civil society in this fight, aware that it is the fundamental basis of sustainable development. The strategy to combat desertification encompasses a long-term program through the application of an integrated development policy in which our country is fully committed.
The public authorities have also put in place means of monitoring the desertification process through the initiation of a network of observatories and the use of space tools which will ultimately make it possible to decide on the actions to be taken against desertification and for the objective of sustainable development.