World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
The
United Nations' World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is
annually observed on June 17 to highlight the urgent need to curb the
desertification process. It also aims to strengthen the visibility of
the drylands issue on the international environmental agenda.
What Do People Do?
Individuals and organizations in various countries, such as
Australia, Algeria, Canada, China, Ghana, and the United States, have
participated in the day in recent years. Many events focus on
educational activities to help combat problems relating to
desertification and drought.
Promotional activities may include the distribution of awareness
raising materials, such as calendars, fact sheets, posters and
postcards, to educational institutions and the general public. The day
may also feature educational case studies, forums or discussions on
drought and desertification, its implications on society and ways to
minimize the problem.
However, the effort to fight against desertification and drought does
not occur only on this day. Many countries have been making a
progressive effort in proactively addressing the issue and looking for
solutions. For example, the Algerian Government resorted to a French
research and engineering firm, in view of elaborating a national plan to
protect the agricultural lands and to fight desertification. Pilot
projects in Lebanon resulted in villagers producing za’atar and other
traditional delicacies to tackle the agricultural decline caused by
years of drought and desert expansion.
Background
In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June
17 the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. The assembly
acknowledged that desertification and drought were global problems
because they affected all regions of the world. The assembly also
realized that joint action by the international community was needed to
combat desertification and drought, particularly in Africa.
States were invited to devote the World Day to promoting awareness of
the need for international cooperation to combat desertification and
the effects of drought, and on the implementation of the Convention to
Combat Desertification. Since then, country parties to the United
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), non-governmental
organizations and other interested stakeholders celebrate this
particular day with outreach activities worldwide on June 17 each year.
Symbols
In March 2005 the UN agencies involved in celebrating the 2006
International Year of Deserts and Desertification organized a logo
competition for that particular year. Krishen Maurymoothoo, a graphic
designer from Mauritius, won the contest. The winning design featured
three elements: a tree, which covers the logo as a protective roof; the
Sun, which acts as a symbol of warmth and life; and the dunes, which
were formed of several colors relating to the Earth's land. The current
UNCCD logo, although different in some aspects, shares some similarities
with Maurymoothoo's logo: trees that protect the Earth; the Sunlit sky,
which brings about warmth in the background; and the land. Both logos
use earth-based colors, which include green and brown.
