How to reduce effects of drought to prevent desertification?

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought has been observed on 17 June every year, the day aims to raise awareness about reducing the effects of drought and famine and preventing desertification.

Desertification is the process by which a common land gradually dries up and becomes barren, after which it turns into a complete desert.

This process begins when there is a drought in an area, large-scale deforestation, or the use of poor methods and chemicals in agriculture that deplete the soil’s fertility and make it barren.

The continent of Africa is currently the most affected by desertification.

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United Nations stated that 250 million people in the world are currently directly affected by the effects of desertification. In addition, 100 countries and 1 billion people are at risk of desertification.

According to the United Nations World Food Program, 23 acres of land around the world are becoming barren every 1 minute.

According to reports from international organizations, the ongoing civil wars around the world are also a major cause of desertification, which first makes an area famine-ridden, damages agriculture, then eventually turns the land into a desert.

In addition, climate change, extremely warm temperatures and rapid depletion of water resources around the world are drying up the land and accelerating desertification.

According to experts, the solution to avoid desertification is to plant as many trees as possible on the lands so that they do not become barren. For this, uncultivated lands are best where cultivation or horticulture can be done.

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