Nearly 135 million people may be displaced by 2045

Since 1994, every June 17 is celebrated as “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” by decision of the United Nations in order to draw attention to the problems caused by the threat of desertification and the fight against her.

2 BILLION PEOPLE AFFECTED

According to data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), more than 11 million people have lost their lives due to drought since 1900, and 2 billion people have been affected by drought.

Drought, which causes between 6 and 8 billion dollars in damage annually worldwide, is estimated to be the costliest natural disaster for humanity.

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), 84 percent of all terrestrial ecosystems are at risk from drought-associated wildfires.

Climate change is expected to increase the risk of drought, particularly in parts of the world experiencing rapid population growth and food security challenges.

NATIONAL SECURITY PROBLEM

More than 70 percent of countries identify the impacts of climate change, such as drought and land degradation, as a national security concern.

It is predicted that 135 million people will have to leave their homes by 2045 due to desertification. According to the World Bank, approximately 216 million people could be displaced by 2050 due to factors such as drought, water scarcity, declining crop productivity, rising sea levels, and overpopulation.

Drought-affected crops have more than doubled in percentage in the last 40 years, while approximately 12 million hectares of land are lost each year due to drought and desertification.

It is estimated that 4.8 to 5.7 billion people will live in 2050 in regions where 3.6 billion people live today and where there is a shortage of water for at least one month of the year.

44 PERCENT LIVE IN AFRICA

In the last 100 years, 44 percent of droughts, estimated to affect more than three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050, have been experienced in Africa.

Of the 134 droughts that have occurred in the world in the last two decades, 70 have been in Africa. Two-thirds of the African land mass is already degraded to some degree, and land degradation is estimated to affect at least 485 million people.

EXCEEDS 27 BILLION DOLLARS

In Latin America, 50 percent of agricultural land is expected to be exposed to desertification by 2050. The cost of 45 droughts in Europe in the last 10 years exceeds $27 billion.

The Integrated Drought Management Program (IDMP), a joint venture of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and WMO, focuses on 3 elements in the fight against drought and desertification.

IDMP draws attention to the critical importance of monitoring drought indicators such as precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation with Early Warning and Monitoring Systems.

With the aim of increasing society’s sensitivity to the dangers of drought with its Sensitivity and Impact Assessment and raising social awareness against these threats, IDMP envisions coming together on common ground against the risks brought by drought and desertification It will make the fight easier.

Under the title of Mitigation and Response, IDMP plans to take structural measures such as dams, engineering projects, and non-structural measures such as public awareness and legal framework, which are necessary to limit the negative effects of drought and desertification. The intervention is intended to provide assistance to those affected during the drought, covering the basic needs of the society affected by these hazards. (AA)