The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is annually observed on June 17^th to highlight the urgent need to curb desertification.

In all, more than 110 countries have drylands potentially at risk and half of the livestock population inhabit drylands. The World Day to Combat Desertification 2013 was observed under theme of “Don’t let our future dry up”. This year, the theme of  “The Land Belongs to the Future, Let’s Climate Proof It” is being observed.

Mongolia has participated in the World Day to Combat Desertification since 2007. Observing the Day to Combat Desertification is crucially significant to raise public awareness about the conditions and consequences of desertification, and to increase participation of the public in the fight against desertification.

MP, Minister of Environment and Green Development, head of the National Committee combating desertification and protecting soil, S.Oyun, sent an appeal for the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification.

In the appeal she said desertification is a significant global ecological and environmental problem. She said that 42 percent of the world is made up of arid regions at risk of desertification, where 1.5 billion of the global population lives. Desertification and degradation affects mostly regional residents’ livelihoods and the economy and it represents an income loss of US$42 billion per year globally. For Mongolia, approximately 72 percent of the territory is partially affected by desertification. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, almost 90 percent of Mongolia is considered prone. MP Oyun continued to say “Therefore I call for civilians, civil society, private and state agencies and the public to join together to implement the appeal of “The Land Belongs to the Future, Let’s Climate Proof It” as approved by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.”