ON WORLD DAY, UN OFFICIALS URGE GLOBAL ACTION TO INCREASE RESPONSE TO DROUGHT

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 17 Jun 2013 09:00:03 -0400
Subject: ON WORLD DAY, UN OFFICIALS URGE GLOBAL ACTION TO INCREASE
RESPONSE TO DROUGHT
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

ON WORLD DAY, UN OFFICIALS URGE GLOBAL ACTION TO INCREASE RESPONSE TO
DROUGHTNew York, Jun 17 2013 9:00AMCountries must work collectively
to build resilience and prepare themselves against drought, United
Nations officials stressed today, highlighting the extensive costs of
this global threat.

"Droughts are hard to avert, but their effects can be mitigated.
Because they rarely observe national borders they demand a collective
response," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for World
Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which this year focuses on
the theme, 'Don't let our future dry up,' highlighting water scarcity.

From Uzbekistan and Brazil to the Sahel and Australia, drought affects
all regions of the planet and has the potential to affect the
livelihoods of millions of people. Just last month, Namibia declared a
national drought emergency as 14 per cent of the population became
food insecure. Last year, the United States experienced its worst
drought since the 1950s, affecting 80 per cent of agricultural land.

"Over the past quarter-century, the world has become more
drought-prone, and droughts are projected to become more widespread,
intense and frequent as a result of climate change," Mr. Ban said.

"The long-term impacts of prolonged drought on ecosystems are
profound, accelerating land degradation and desertification. The
consequences include impoverishment and the risk of local conflict
over water resources and productive land."

Mr. Ban underlined that "the price of preparedness is minimal compared
to the cost of disaster relief," and encouraged countries to build
resilience to droughts by implementing the outcomes of the High-level
Meeting on National Drought Policy, held in Geneva last March.

He also called for implementation of last year's agreement at the UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to avoid and offset
land degradation.

Mr. Ban's call was echoed by Luc Gnacadja, the Executive Secretary of
the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which leads global
efforts to mitigate drought and combat desertification and land
degradation.

"For over three decades, the international community has grappled with
drought impacts and their mitigation. But relief still dominates. In
most cases, the response is too late," Mr. Gnacadja said.

"Investing in our resilience today costs a fraction of the relief
price we will pay tomorrow, and its benefits are worth far more.
Becoming a drought-resilient global society is not only possible and
affordable; it must be our first and only option."

Mr. Gnacadja pointed to the achievements of the village of Batodi in
Niger, where 5 million hectares of land were restored through
agroforestry, as an example of progress. As a result of the
restoration, the water table rose by 14 metres. "The most affected
communities are not standing by but are leading the way to drought
resilience and water security," he said.

To mark the Day, Mr. Gnacadja announced the three winners of 2013 Land
for Life Award, a global initiative with a prize fund of $100,000. The
award was established last year to recognize innovative and replicable
community initiatives, which strengthen the resilience of vulnerable
and affected populations.

Mr. Gnacadja also announced that the Drylands Champions initiative was
set up under the Convention to rally support for individuals that are
making a practical difference on the ground. Eritrea, Hungary, Kenya,
Portugal and Thailand have announced that they will designate their
first Drylands Champions as part of the Day's celebrations.

Events are also planned in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Côte d'Ivoire, Georgia, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Namibia, Senegal, South
Africa, Timor-Leste, Turkey and Ukraine.
Jun 17 2013 9:00AM
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