On World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on Monday, June 17, 2024, Germany, as host of the official celebrations at the UN site in Bonn, is sending a signal for strong international commitment in the fight against the loss of fertile soils. Together with youth representatives from more than 20 countries, State Secretary for Development Jochen Flasbarth is calling for increased international efforts in the intergenerational task of soil protection. Under the motto "United for Land. Our Earth. Our future." he invites international guests together with Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the World Soil Convention UNCCD, and Katja Dörner, Mayor Katja Dörner of the City of Bonn, to a central ceremony in the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn.
State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth: "Healthy soils are the foundation of our future. Whether climate change, the loss of biodiversity or food crises: The condition of our soils plays a central role in overcoming these global challenges. Soils store water, allow trees and plants to grow - only with healthy soils can we feed humanity and arm ourselves against the climate crisis."
Executive Secretary UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw: "30 years ago, the global community came together to conclude a global agreement to protect our soils - the UNCCD. Now more than ever, the world needs to accelerate its implementation. By 2050, there will be ten billion people living on our planet who depend on healthy soils. At the moment, an area of healthy soil equivalent to four soccer pitches is being destroyed every second."
Mayor of Bonn, Katja Dörner: "Being able to celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought at the UNCCD headquarters, in the German UN city of Bonn, is not only a great honor for our city, but also a sign of how important cities are in overcoming global challenges. Land - climate - nature - these cannot be thought of separately at a local level. If we want to create a future worth living for all, then valuing what makes us live is the basis of our work."
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024. Every year on June 17, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, UNCCD calls for greater action to combat land degradation, desertification and drought. As host of this year's World Day, Germany is positioning itself as a partner in the global fight against expanding desertification and the loss of fertile soil.
Youth representatives from more than 20 countries will also be attending the celebrations in Bonn to present their ideas for better international soil protection. They met the day before at the invitation of the BMZ, the City of Bonn and the UNCCD and developed positions with a view to the 16th UNCCD World Soil Conference in Saudi Arabia in December. Students and pupils from Bonn were also present. The latter attend the Bonns Fünfte comprehensive school, which was recognized as a "Land Friendly School" by the UNCCD on the occasion of World Land Day. The young people's expectations focus on issues of intergenerational justice and solutions for the sustainable use of soils and land worldwide. At the official ceremony, they will be given a stage to present their ideas and proposed solutions. This year, the Development Ministry is also supporting a program that prepares young negotiators for the World Soil Conference of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification to be held in Saudi Arabia in December.
Soil is a non-renewable resource
Soil is an essentially non-renewable resource. Worldwide, up to ten million hectares of agricultural land are degraded every year - an area the size of Iceland. The unsustainable cultivation of land leads to the sometimes irreversible destruction of (agricultural) ecosystems and a decline in agricultural yields. Soils play an important role in climate protection as CO2 sinks and are the basis of life for around two thirds of all living creatures on our planet, including humans.
Germany has supported the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the UNCCD, since the 1990s. As one of the three Rio Conventions, the UNCCD is the only legally binding international agreement that focuses on the protection of fertile soils as the basis of our existence. During its 30 years of existence, Germany has shown itself to be a reliable partner of the UNCCD with a high level of commitment and its own contributions. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought will be held in Germany on June 17, 2024 to mark the 30th anniversary. The celebrations will take place in Bonn - the city that is also home to the UNCCD Secretariat.
The German government supports partner countries through the Development Ministry with a variety of soil protection projects. For example, Germany supports farmers around the world in restoring fertile farmland and protecting water catchment areas. In Ethiopia, for example, the construction of small dams has made the soil fertile again and increased the amount of groundwater so that drinking water is once again available for longer periods of the year. Germany is also working with the Ethiopian government on sustainable agricultural cultivation practices and the efficient use of fertilizer. This saves costs for expensive, imported fertilizer - and the soil and groundwater are less polluted.