World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2022
Desertification refers to the degradation of land which was considered to be healthy once. Deforestation is one of the significant causes of desertification. Forests have been destroyed throughout history and into current times to make room for agriculture and animal grazing, as well as to gather wood for fuel, manufacture, and construction. Deforestation has had a significant impact on landscapes all around the world. As a result of deforestation, greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, contributing to change and, eventually, desertification and drought. It degrades soil and substantially lowers potential land production, resulting in ecosystem degradation and associated ecological services, as well as biodiversity loss.
Along with deforestation, the cropping pattern is also a major reason for desertification in Bangladesh. In recent years monoculture has been practiced in our agriculture which is not appropriate for our soil and destroys the nutrition balance in the soil leading to soil degradation and productivity loss.
Land productivity loss either reduces food production or raises production costs by requiring external inputs (e.g., fertilizers, imported water, pesticides). As a result, prices rise, resulting in increased food insecurity and poverty.
This year the theme of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is ‘Food. Feed. Fibre.’ This theme serves as a reminder that excessive consumption may lead to desertification and a call to action for all of us to help safeguard the environment. So, in order to avoid any further delays, we need to pause and check our consumption. We must consider future generations and consume our natural resources in a sustainable manner.
