While the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is currently underway in Côte d’Ivoire, the first debates are alerting governments around the world to deal with the growing threat of drought.
The objective of this COP15 is indeed to warn once morest the urgency of the situation, desertification being a global problem that threatens crops, food and ecological security of the planet.
“As farmers, we have been negatively affected by the drought. The wells we used to irrigate our farms have dried up. Our farms are now at risk of being invaded by wild animals. They too are affected by the drought, so they come looking for pasture. We lost a significant amount of crops that we were hoping to harvest.” said Fawzia Salah Mohamud, a Somali farmer.
A new report from the organization claims that the lives of billions of people around the world are affected by water scarcity, and not just people in underdeveloped countries.
The drought problem coupled with the war in Ukraine which has driven up the cost of fertilizers and fuel, has resulted in a tragic loss of income especially for farmers.
The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched its crisis response initiative in the region to reduce the risk of food insecurity and famine.
Somalia is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of food insecurity.
“This region of which Kenya is also a large part of what has been impacted; Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, this region has been severely affected by drought as a result of repercussions that are linked to the land, such as locusts So we’re in a situation where land degradation was already making it difficult for small farmers and herders, then other issues like locusts damaging crops, and now you’ve crossed the point tipping point with this drought. It’s now the worst drought in decades.” explained Barron Orr, Senior Scientist, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
According to the United Nations, people around the world must learn to grow more resilient crops, using less water and relying less on animal products.
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, climate change is expected to increase the risk of drought in many vulnerable regions of the world, especially in countries experiencing rapid population growth.
