TODAY -

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

N Munal Meitei *

Drought looming : The condition of Paddy field in Thoubal district :: last week of July 2012
Drought looming : The condition of Paddy field in Thoubal district in July 2012



In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. It acknowledged that desertification and drought are the challenging global problems because they affect all regions of the world. This day is a unique occasion to remind everybody that desertification can be effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, and that key tools to this aim lay in strengthened community participation and co-operation at all levels.

From the food we eat, to the clothes we wear and the houses we live – it all stems from land resources. In order to "leave no one behind" as proclaimed in the new Sustainable Development Goals, achieving land degradation neutrality needs to be in the forefront to meet our requirements and develop sustainability.

The theme for this year is "Inclusive cooperation for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality" and slogan is "Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People". Beijing the capital of China will be the host.. During the celebrations, China will launch the 'One Belt and One Road' Joint Action to Combat Desertification Initiative together with interested countries and stakeholders.

Desertification is the result of a cycle of land degradation, turning once fertile soils into sterile land as a consequence of over-exploitation by intensive farming, forest exploitation for fuel and timber, and overgrazing. Thus, desertification does not refer specifically to desert areas, nor to arid lands but to the consequences of over-use of the Earth's resources. So desertification also refer to land degradation of a relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. Therefore desertification is a significant global ecological and environmental problem.

Desertification is a global phenomenon, affecting the livelihoods of 900 million people across the five continents and representing a third of worldwide threats to biodiversity. Drylands occupy approximately 40–41% of Earth's land area and are home to more than 2 billion people. It has been estimated that some 10–20% of drylands are already degraded, the total area affected by desertification being between 6 and 12 million sq. km that about 1–6% of the inhabitants of drylands live in desertified areas, and that a billion people are under threat from further desertification.

The immediate cause desertificationis the loss of vegetation. This is also driven by a number of factors, alone or in combination, such as drought, climatic shifts, hi tillage for agriculture, overgrazing and deforestation for fuel or construction materials.

Vegetation plays a major role in determining the biological composition of the soil. Studies have shown that, in many environments, the rate of erosion and runoff decreases exponentially with increased vegetation cover. Unprotected, dry soil surfaces blow away with the wind or are washed away by flash floods, leaving infertile lower soil layers that bake in the sun and become an unproductive hardpan. At least 90% of the inhabitants of drylands live in developing nations, where they also suffer from poor economic and social conditions.

This situation is exacerbated by land degradation because of the reduction in productivity, the precariousness of living conditions and the difficulty of access to resources and opportunities. Human activities directly trigger exacerbating desertifica- tion with the factors such as over farming, excessive irrigation, deforestation, and erosion adversely impact the ability of the land to capture and hold water.

Despite the mitigation of desertification, we need to know the existingdrylands contain a great variety of biodiversity. Many species and habitats found in drylands are not present in more humid ecosystems.

Their biodiversity is also central to sustainable development and to the livelihoods of their inhabitants, many of whom are poor. For this reason the importance of biodiversity to poverty reduction and economic development may be greater in drylands than in many other ecosystems.

Drylands also contribute a number of high-value products of global economic importance, at least 30% of the world's cultivated plants and many livestock breeds originate in drylands. They therefore constitute an important genetic reservoir that is becoming increasingly valuable for climate change adaptation. Therefore, their biodiversity plays an important role in the global fight against climate change, poverty and desertification.

Desertification often causes rural lands to become unable to support the same sized populations that previously lived there. This results in mass migrations out of rural areas and into urban areas. These migrations into the cities often cause large numbers of unemployed people, who end up living in slums.

Techniques exist for reversing the effects of desertification; however, there are numerous barriers to their implementation. One of these is that the costs of adopting sustainable agricultural practices sometimes exceed the benefits for individual farmers, even while they are socially and environmentally beneficial. Another issue is a lack of political will, and lack of funding to support land reclamation and anti-desertification programs.

Reforestation gets the best solution of desertification. Enriching of the soil and restoration of its fertility is often done by plants. Of these, the Leguminous plants which extract nitrogen from the air and fixes it in the soil, and food crops/tree grains, barley, beans and dates are the most important.

Fixating the soil is often done through the use of shelter belts, woodlots and windbreaks. Windbreaks are made from trees and bushes and are used to reduce soil erosion and evapotrans-piration. Some soils (for example, clay), due to lack of water can become consolidated rather than porous (as in the case of sandy soils). Some techniques as zaï or tillage are then used to still allow the planting of crops.

Another technique that is useful is contour trenching. The trenches are made parallel to the height lines of the landscape, preventing the water from flowing within the trenches and causing erosion. Stone walls are placed around the trenches to prevent the trenches from closing up again. Sand fences can also be used to control drifting of soil and sand erosion.

Drought or lack of rainfall is another wooing world problem. A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region; resulting in prolonged shortages in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region and harm to the local economy. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapour.

Activities resulting in global climate change are expected to trigger droughts. It impacts on agriculture throughout the world, and especially in the developing nations. Drought can also reduce water quality. Strategies for drought protection, mitigation or relief may include:dams, cloud seeding, desalination, drought monitoring, land use, outdoor water-use restriction, rainwater harvesting and recycling of water.

As we know, cutting of trees means paving the way on desertification. In Manipur the number of trees that we are cutting daily is not in tunes of thousands but in hundreds of thousands.

While jhooming is the greatest problem, maximum of the trees are also cut for earning livelihood for many of the poor hill peoples. As per the Indian State Forest Report 2015, Manipur is only the state the North-East with increase in forest area for 4 sq.km.

The total increases in the state were 115 sq.km but challengingly, 111 sq.km of forest land were reduced in Tamenglong district alone due to Jhoom and forest fire. The total area of forest lost in the state is about 400 sq.km annually.

But due to some of the Govt. afforestation schemes, we could make up something to breathe. Now selling of firewood has become a big business.

The mushrooming brick kilns in the state are mainly depending on the firewood as for lignite or coal, transportation and cost is a factor. Most of the small scale industries in the state such as blacksmith, goldsmith, hotels and dhobi depend on charcoals that are produced by uprooting the trees mostly of coppicing species. Therefore, the significance of observing this day will be fulfilled only when we stop the indiscriminate cutting of trees and instead planting more and more trees in all the available lands for the sack of future.


* N Munal Meitei wrote this article for The Sangai Express
This article was webcasted on June 18 , 2016.



* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.




LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • 76th Republic Day @ Kangla #3 : Gallery
  • Violence in Manipur 2023-2025 : Timeline
  • Epom Amadei Ithak - A theatrical revisit
  • Economy of the dynamic global landscape
  • Is the Bhagavad Gita relevant today ?
  • Healthy hair in Winter
  • Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) 2025
  • From the battlefields to Delhi
  • Speculations on replacement of Chief Minister
  • 12th Legislative Assembly #2 : Gallery
  • Education & its disjuncture in Manipur
  • HUN-Thadou Cultural Fest 2025 : Theme
  • Coo :: Poem
  • Agartala Coach : India U-19 Women Cricket
  • The story of the village of hope
  • Career choice in wetlands
  • CM in Delhi to meet Shah
  • After failed plastic ban bid, on brickfields
  • New catfish species discovered in Chakpi
  • Love, Unsure :: Poem
  • Manipur's border battles: Deeper conflict
  • A world without leprosy
  • Origin of corruption & possible remedies
  • The question of life
  • 'Sereki' unveils Majuli-themed campaign
  • Posers over summons to Delhi
  • Addiction-free campaign
  • Mera Chaorel Houba @Kangla #5 : Gallery
  • Lamtanganba, Adum , Mahaiso : eMing
  • Manipur : Champions Jr Natl Sepaktakraw
  • Effective Unified Command approach
  • Saurashtrian Tamils
  • Accepting the change :: Poem
  • From Kumbh to heaven direct
  • Edge of the seat suspense
  • Wetlands revival efforts reaping fruit
  • Natambakta : Play by JNMDA #4 : Gallery
  • EIIFF 2025 unveils Festival Memento
  • Climate change & plant diseases
  • Shija Hospital- AHPI Healthcare Award
  • Budget 2025: A big gift for middle-class
  • The Science of Success : Attitude #2
  • Cakeology 2025: India's largest cake expo
  • Need to stick to a consistent narrative
  • Leniency on tobacco ban aiding demographic
  • 76th Republic Day @ Kangla #2 : Gallery
  • Pheiroijam Christina - 21st Miss North East
  • Manipur: Gold at 28th Jr National Sepaktakraw
  • Clarion call for redeeming our rightful future
  • The Power of Poppy - 67 :: Poem
  • Clean energy for sustainability
  • Union Budget: Industrialists from NE speaks
  • Balaram Sougaijamba: General of Manipur
  • Nikhil Okram crowned 14th Mister North East
  • Chadong village: Rising from waters with hope
  • Financial literacy for common man
  • Obituary: (L) Pu Thangkholen Sitlhou
  • Nail care in Winters
  • State of war since 2023: No winner, only losers
  • Talks on new district row
  • Radio E-pao: 1000+ songs from Manipur
  • Maibi Jagoi @ Kwak Tanba : Gallery
  • February Calendar for Year 2025 : Tools
  • Ballad of Letting Go :: Poem
  • 2nd Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Fest
  • Deeper exploration of term 'Hill-Valley Divide'
  • Children's Book to adopt 'Look East Policy'
  • Pony registration & conservation
  • Endless suffering of internally displaced child
  • 21st Ningtham Kumhei Fest #2 : Gallery
  • Thiyam Suryamukhi conferred Padma Shri
  • Isolate Kuki Militants by facilitating safe return
  • Sports Meet held at Rongdai Village
  • Eco-Apocalypse: Prevent collapse with Green
  • Grand Finale : 21st Mega Miss North East
  • Time to give more teeth to ST demand
  • 5 years of ILP; what about NRC demand ?
  • Remembering Md Ladu, celebrated polo player
  • The Lament of Love's Deceit :: Poem
  • Need for inculcating value based education
  • Royte - Times Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Glass Child Syndrome ! 'Sibling rivalry'
  • 6 Films for NE Section at GAFF 2025
  • Pony registration & conservation
  • Impartial anti-extortion cell need of the hour
  • 76th Republic Day @ Kangla #1 : Gallery
  • Conservation Strategies of Pethia manipurensis
  • Remembers 13 Brave Indian Soldiers
  • Workshop: Intl Year of Quantum Science
  • Governor's role and discretionary powers
  • Physics workshop for educators at Agartala
  • Who wins Delhi - Daru or Dharma
  • War on Drugs: A war Manipur cannot loses
  • NE turning into transnational drug hub
  • Essence of Gaan-Ngai #2
  • Manipur's dystopian reality
  • The day Light reached the hills
  • 2nd Eikhoigi Imphal Intl Film Fest 2025
  • Why is depreciation of rupee not stopping ?
  • An introduction to Rabies (Hydrophobia) #5
  • Thoithoiba Yelhou Yangkok Artist #2 : Gallery
  • Republic Day Titbits
  • NIT Manipur: Best Design Award @VLSI Design
  • The Power of Poppy - 66 :: Poem
  • Grand Finale: 14th Mega Mister North East
  • Application : FILMART, Hong Kong
  • The Science of Success : Attitude #1
  • 21st Ningtham Kumhei Fest #1 : Gallery
  • Demographic for balkanisation of Manipur
  • Training on Mushroom Cultivation at Nambol
  • Jugeshwor Kshetrimayum receives GELA 2025
  • Construction Committee of Meetei Yumpham
  • Call against misuse of social media
  • Positive & negative aspects of social media
  • In Search of Peace in Manipur
  • Embracing the Shadows :: Poem
  • Dr Manmohan Singh will live on
  • Rise in the price of medicines
  • Respecting the dead- Denying is a disgrace
  • Winter skin care tips for oily skin
  • Illegal immigrants :: Of FMR & border fencing
  • JD-U row exposes national parties' apathy
  • State Gaan-Ngai @Sagolband #2 : Gallery
  • On 'Only BJP can save Manipur'
  • Frontline health workers dispelling darkness
  • 14th East Himalayan Trade Fair
  • Life is plastic
  • Killers on the road : 834 lives lost
  • Call to action to save State's wetlands
  • Essence of Gaan-Ngai #1
  • The Taste of Dreams wins @Red Intl Film Fest
  • Science: 3rd eye for Meitei-Kuki reconciliation
  • Northeast flies high in direct selling
  • Mastering focus amidst distractions
  • An introduction to Rabies (Hydrophobia) #4
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • BJP : Tepid response from the hills
  • BABINA Hospital sets example in healthcare
  • Nitya Ras @Nongmeibung #1 : Gallery
  • Agonizing reality of our country's veteran elites
  • Historicising the colonial narratives
  • NSS Team Departs for National Integration
  • HUN-Thadou Cultural Festival 2025
  • Time to recreate Naga Peoples Convention 2.0
  • Career in nutrition
  • Need to give more meaning to War on Drugs
  • Time for real action not empty rhetoric
  • Foundation: Manipur Press Club #2 : Gallery
  • "Aronba Wari" :: Shumang Leela Synopsis
  • Tripura's livelihoods challenges
  • Archaeological Exhibition @ Kangla : Gallery
  • Gaan-Ngai @Chaopok village #1 : Gallery
  • Manipur needs to affirm her tribal roots
  • Madras/Chennai- 1989 till 2024 : Gallery
  • Investigate "arms recoveries" in Mizoram
  • Training on Mushroom Cultivation
  • NE Direct Selling Conference & Expo
  • Response of Delhi in last 20 months
  • Regulated entry after FMR scrap, border
  • Mutua Bahadur : Preserving Manipuri culture
  • Competitive Altruism: Resolving ethnic conflict
  • Pithe Puli Utsav at Agartala
  • Building the best version of yourself
  • Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2025
  • Tips to keep your lips soft & smooth in winter
  • Subsidised flight tickets for all
  • MCPCR alert on child trafficking fear
  • Imoinu Erat Thouni @ Wangkhei : Gallery
  • Gaan-Ngai celebrating Culture in Delhi NCR
  • The Weeping Gods of Manipur :: Poem
  • Disarming Kuki-Zo armed groups under SoO
  • Why nurses deserve more recognition, pay
  • The hidden truths of our social media lives
  • MMTU stand bang on target: Recapping May 3
  • Enhancing aerial options to ease travel woes
  • 2nd Emoinu Fish Festival #1 : Gallery
  • Sustainable development - climate action #1
  • RIST Talk- 62 : Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • "Technically a BJP MLA will rule Nagaland"
  • Makar Sankranti : vibrant customs & traditions
  • Why gold is a strong hedge but ...
  • Delhi date on January 17
  • Onus of addressing tribal issues on new Guv?
  • Nupilal Ningshing Lamjel #2 : Gallery
  • Licypriya Kangujam: Nat'l Youth Day Award
  • Barak Festival advocates Peace, Progress
  • 'Yu', not fully liberalised
  • Article 355 equals Governor's Rule ?
  • Calls to vote with conscience
  • Zingtun academy leading by example
  • State Gaan-Ngai @Sagolband #1 : Gallery
  • Is Kuki-Zo community pushing Nagas to edge?
  • Will drive to find-treat-prevent TB continue ?
  • Smart Cities, dustier roads ?
  • ST of NE & Dalits of mainland India
  • That May :: Poem
  • Understanding Red, Yellow, Green
  • Cong posers on Govt aid to SoO group
  • Culturals @Tri-Nation Football #1 : Gallery
  • Gaan-Ngai festival of Kabui/Rongmei
  • 40 Years & 04 Stations- Part IV (Madras)
  • Manipur Gold: 34th Sr Natl Sepaktakraw C'ship
  • Public Health Risk Management Training
  • The Power of Poppy - 64 :: Poem
  • The Science of Success #4
  • Hingminashi Eikhoi : Call for unity in diversity
  • A Hymn for Goddess Emoinu
  • Are the foods we eat, correct ?
  • Gangtok, Sikkim (1983 till 1988) : Gallery
  • The Taste of Dreams : Teaser Unveiled
  • Be a child of courage & conquer obstacle
  • Hans Renal Care Centre in Guwahati
  • Focus on pre-May 3, 2023 period
  • Conundrum over the genesis of crisis
  • Misna Chanu aids to Jiribam IDPs : Gallery
  • North-East Students invited to JEE Main 2025
  • Empower the State else avoid blame on CM
  • Obituary : Thaunawjam Brajamohon
  • Hope :: Poem
  • An introduction to Rabies (Hydrophobia) #3
  • Winter makeup tips for dry skin
  • Imphal, Delhi still groping in the dark
  • Tension over assault case, land claims
  • Mega Protest Rally, end AFSPA #2: Gallery
  • Foundation: Manipur Press Club #1 : Gallery
  • Ningol Chakkouba @ Delhi #3 : Gallery
  • Indigenous Pottery Making @Imphal : Gallery
  • AIR Radio Imphal Station - Live streaming
  • Nupi Lal Memorial @Pune #2 : Gallery
  • The historical account of Kabaw Valley #3
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2024 #6: Gallery
  • E-Pao.net : 25th Anniv & 2025 Wishes
  • Protest @Delhi - Murder of Meiteis #2: Gallery
  • "Connections", art exhibitt @ DC : Gallery
  • Observance of Thang-Ta Day #1 : Gallery
  • Mera Chaorel Houba #4 : Gallery
  • Nupi Lal Memorial @Pune #1 : Gallery
  • Meitei Mayek Tamba : Online Classroom #5
  • Indigenous People Cultural Fest #1 : Gallery
  • Maibi Jagoi @ Mera Houchongba: Gallery
  • Mega Protest Rally, end AFSPA #1: Gallery
  • Ta Ta TabuHtoN :: Seireng
  • Downloadable Manipuri Calendar :: 2025
  • GHOST of PEACE :: Download Booklet