Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Land degradation, drought, sand and dust storms (PPB), loss of biological or economic land productivity are all the consequences of climate change around the world. In 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was created in order to combat such consequences, as well as to enhance the sustainability of local communities.

Every year the "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought" is celebrated on 17 June - on the day of the official adoption of the Convention. This year, this day is held under the slogan “Food. Stern. Fiber” and is dedicated to the problem of increasing unsustainable consumption of natural resources to meet growing consumer demand around the world. Over 70% of natural ecosystems have been taken out of their natural state - mainly for the production of food, feed, fiber and fuel. By 2050, this figure can reach 90%.

This problem is the "stumbling block" of social and economic growth throughout the world, and, therefore, this is an excellent occasion to discuss progress in work that has an impact on one third of the world’s population, including Central Asia.

Considering that the main share of the Central Asian countries’ GDP is agriculture, which directly depends on the stability of the region’s ecosystems, changing consumer and producer behavior patterns, introducing more effective land use planning methods, as well as more sustainable natural resource management practices, is one of the few social options -economic development. This will satisfy the demand for basic necessities and maintain the ecosystem balance.

The region of Central Asia, located in the continental part of the mainland, is experiencing acute water shortages, which is also felt in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is a densely populated, rapidly developing country with a dry continental climate. One of the priority tasks for the country’s leadership is to ensure its environmental safety.

The bulk of the population lives in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture, especially traditional agriculture, the practice of which passes from generation to generation, and often depletes land. Natural processes of water and wind erosion contribute to the loss of the fertile layer of the earth, enhancing the degradation processes.

The land fund used in agriculture in Uzbekistan is divided into three categories: irrigated land (9.7%), rainfed land (1.7%), natural pastures (50.1%). Territories covered by forest occupy 7.2% of the total land area of the republic. Other and unused lands account for 35.3%. In Uzbekistan, the area of degraded land is more than 70%.

It takes about 3,000 years to restore the fertile layer 15 cm thick, which is necessary for the normal cultivation of crops, but if it is improperly handled, it can be lost in just one field season.

Many foothill and valley areas began to experience water shortages. Due to the lack of water, many lands go out of agricultural circulation and are used as pastures. The productivity of such pastures is low and these lands, as a rule, are under heavy pressure due to the increasing number of livestock in the population. Cattle knock out existing vegetation, preventing it from recovering. Earth is rapidly degrading. Moisture evaporates more from these lands than precipitation. Deserts grow, sometimes taking in their eyes once fertile lands.

Currently, the area of saline irrigated lands in the Republic of Uzbekistan is about 52% of the total irrigated area, including 18% of the lands of medium and highly saline. The most salinized soil in Karakalpakstan (90–95%), Bukhara (96%) and Khorezm oases (95-100%). Particularly unfavorable conditions for soil salinization have developed in Karakalpakstan, where the most significant decline in crop yields is noted.

In Uzbekistan, desertification processes are subject to extensive sandy, clayey and solonchak plains and foothills almost throughout the republic.

Uzbekistan was one of the first (13 countries out of 193-member countries of the Convention) to sign the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (12/07/1994). The Oliy Majlis ratified it on August 31, 1995.

In 1999, the National Action Program to Combat Desertification was adopted. The program identified the country’s main priorities for the implementation of the UNCCD and a number of measures, the adoption of which was supposed to contain the processes of desertification, degradation and the prevention of droughts. One of such measures was the creation of a monitoring and control system on desertification and drought, the introduction of modern monitoring methods.

During its existence, the UNCCD secretariat has developed mechanisms to promote policies to combat drought and BSP, and provided support to states in developing national plans to increase their preparedness and resistance to drought and BSP.

In order to assist participating countries in improving their preparedness and resistance to drought and BSP, in collaboration with the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), a number of national institutions and the expert community in the region, a pilot project “Regional Approaches to Combating BSPs and drought in Central Asia” was launched in January this year.

By the end of the project in 2021, it is planned to release two documents: “Regional Strategy for Drought Risk Management for Central Asia” and “Regional Framework Program and Strategy for Combating BEP”, as well as five National Plans to Combat BEP. The results and main results of the project will be announced at a special session for Central Asia at the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD in 2021, which will consider further actions and the regional vision of the participating countries on drought and BSP.

Each producer and consumer is responsible for land degradation to one degree or another and leaves its mark on the lives of future generations. The pilot project, “Regional Approaches to Combating PPB and Drought in Central Asia,” also notes the anthropogenic factors of land degradation, and takes into account the interconnection of natural resources, producers and consumers, helping to reduce the risks associated with drought and PPB on socio-economic stability.

“If we continue to produce and consume as we used to, we will waste our planet’s ability to sustain life, and this will continue until there is nothing left but waste,” said Ibrahim Tiau, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. “To help safeguard and restore the land, we all need to make the right choices about what we eat and wear.”

To have sufficient resources of productive land that will meet the needs of ten billion people by 2050, it is necessary to change the way of life today. Therefore, this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, held under the slogan “Food. Stern. Fiber” aims to teach people how to reduce the impact on land at the individual level and to draw general attention to this common problem.