Desertification and Drought
Every year on June 17, the world comes together to observe the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, this day is dedicated to raising awareness about the pressing issues of desertification and drought, which affect millions of people and vast areas of land globally. It serves as a call to action to innovate and implement strategies that ensure the health and productivity of our lands. This year, the theme of the Desertification and Drought Day is “United for Land: Our Legacy. Our Future.”, which spotlights the future of land stewardship.
Understanding the Impact on Agriculture
Desertification, the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, results primarily from human activities and climatic variations. This process severely diminishes the land’s productive capacity. Coupled with droughts these phenomena can devastate crop yields, reduce soil fertility, and threaten water supplies, directly impacting our ability to feed a growing global population. Desertification and drought are among the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. More than 40% of all land surface in the world is already considered degraded. For the agriculture sector, this translates to reduced yields, increased costs, and greater volatility in food supply chains. Regions like Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable, where desertification exacerbates hunger, poverty, and forced migration (1).
Innovating for Resilience
Innovation plays an important role in combating the challenges presented by desertification and drought. Here we discuss several key strategies can be employed, along with examples of exciting recent developments in the field.
Sustainable Land Management
Sustainable land management can play a key role in preventing desertification. This can take many forms including reforestation, buffer zones and high-tech approaches. Promoting the planting of trees and restoration of forested areas can prevent soil erosion, enhance biodiversity, sequester carbon and even promote rainfall. Our role can extend to developing tree species with enhanced growth rates and resilience.
The “Rehabilitation of Forest Landscapes and Degraded Land” project in Iran, supported by the FAO and the Global Environment Fund (GEF), aims to restore degraded lands and improve local ecosystems. This project includes planting trees and restoring vegetation cover to combat soil erosion and enhance biodiversity (2).
Many organisations are interested in the reduction and reversal of desertification. One such organisation, Justdiggit, aims to regreen Africa within the next decade by inspiring farmers across the continent to restore dry land through a combination of tree planting, grass seed bank development and digging of bunds to harvest rainwater and improve retention. As of 2023, the charity had 435,000 hectares under restoration showing the strong effect of collaboration between NGOS, governments, companies and governments to combat this issue.
Advanced Biotech Solutions
Utilizing advanced biotech solutions to enhance soil health, boost agricultural productivity, and preserve ecosystems. Techniques such as genetically engineered crops that are drought-resistant and practices like precision agriculture can significantly mitigate the effects of land degradation.
A recent study published in ‘Plant, Cell & Environment’, utilised gene-editing of the SlGT30 gene in tomatoes using CRISPR-Cas9 to improve drought resistance and fruit yield by affecting the endoreduplication pathway. This decreases stomata density and increases cell size and number. The results were promising and pave the way for producing tomatoes that can better withstand drought conditions induced by climate change (3). The CRISPR/Cas9 system has previously been utilised to improve drought resistance in other crops including maize (4) and rice (5).
Water Conservation Technologies
Implementing efficient water management systems, such as drip irrigation, and leveraging biotech advancements to grow crops that require less water, can help conserve this precious resource.
In Spain, a small startup has developed an intelligent agricultural water management system that combines IoT and cloud services for real-time monitoring and efficient water usage. Solar-powered devices enable farmers to optimize irrigation based on current crop needs, significantly conserving water. This approach helps farmers to install sensors regardless of geographical location and communication network type. Their service offers specific solutions for different types of users: small growers, large farms, irrigation communities and urban water management infrastructures, and can be used on any type of crop (6).
Policy Advocacy and Governance
Governments have a key role to play in the reduction and reversal of desertification. Supporting and advocating for policies and international agreements like the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) ensures coordinated action and resource allocation. Engaging in policy discussions and promoting science-based solutions can drive systemic change (7).
Conclusion
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought underscores the critical need for action within the agricultural industry. By leveraging innovative strategies such as biotechnology and sustainable land management, we can transform the challenge of desertification into an opportunity for innovation and resilience. By embracing these solutions and working collaboratively, we can protect our land resources, support agricultural productivity, and secure a legacy of a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come.
References
(2) https://www.fao.org/iran/news/detail-events/en/c/1643061/
(3) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.14927
(5) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46754-2
(6) https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/water-management-trends/
(8) Justdiggit | Cooling Down The Planet | Global Warming Charity
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