The United Nations has issued a stark warning that an urgent increase of £200 billion is necessary annually to address the growing crisis of land degradation worldwide. With only £56 billion currently mobilised, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) stresses that failure to act could lead to widespread food shortages, forced migrations, and increased conflict, affecting billions globally.
Funding Shortfall Exposed
Yasmine Fouad, the executive secretary of UNCCD and a former Egyptian environment minister, highlighted the alarming disparity between the funding required to combat land degradation and what is being provided. “Today, there is a massive gap between the finance available and the finance required,” she stated. “But closing that gap cannot rely on public budgets alone.”
The UNCCD’s latest assessment reveals that approximately £261 billion ($355 billion) is needed each year to effectively tackle land degradation. However, only about £77 billion is being mobilised annually, predominantly from the countries most affected by these issues. A mere 6 per cent of current funding is sourced from private investments, while international aid contributes about 22 per cent.
The Rising Risk of Inaction
Land degradation encompasses a range of issues, including soil erosion, deforestation, and loss of fertility. Desertification, a process marked by persistent degradation in dry areas, poses an existential threat to agriculture and livestock. Ms. Fouad warned that the repercussions of inaction extend far beyond environmental concerns. “The risks of inaction are no longer environmental risks alone,” she said. “Land degradation and drought are already contributing to food insecurity, supply chain disruptions, forced migration, and rising inequality.”
The UNCCD reports that 15.4 per cent of global land was classified as degraded in 2019, a worrying increase of 4 per cent over four years. This equates to 100 million hectares of once-productive land deteriorating each year, impacting approximately 1.3 billion individuals. The cost of desertification and land degradation is staggering; it is estimated to drain around 2 per cent of the GDP of affected countries, amounting to approximately £678 billion ($878 billion) annually.
Global Leaders Respond
Fouad’s urgent call to action has found resonance among environment ministers from G7 nations, who recently described desertification and drought as “systemic global challenges” and identified them as “security risk multipliers.” Despite these challenges, Ms. Fouad is hopeful that with adequate funding, viable solutions exist to combat the crisis.
Noteworthy initiatives, such as watershed management projects in Ethiopia and Kenya, and the Great Green Wall initiative in the Sahel region—aiming to plant 100 million hectares of trees by 2030—show the potential for impactful restoration efforts. Currently, 74 drought-vulnerable countries have submitted plans for drought management, awaiting the necessary funding to implement them.
Upcoming Conference of Parties
The UNCCD is set to convene a Conference of Parties (Cop) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August, where funding strategies will be a central topic of discussion. While there is scepticism surrounding the effectiveness of such conferences, Ms. Fouad remains optimistic about the potential for meaningful outcomes. “I see Cops as more important than ever,” she stated, “as they are critical for bringing together countries from both the global North and the South.”
Why it Matters
The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. As land degradation accelerates, the implications for global stability are profound. The interconnections between environmental health and societal wellbeing are clearer than ever. Failure to secure the necessary funding not only threatens food security and livelihoods but also risks igniting conflicts and exacerbating inequality. The time to act is now; the fate of millions hangs in the balance.