Just In: Colombia to host global observance of desertification and drought day
By Samuel Ogunsona
The Republic of Colombia will host the global observance of Desertification and Drought Day.
The event will take place in Bogota city, the country’ capital on June 17, 2025.
The event themed “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities,” is set to highlight nations commitment to tackling land degradation through nature-based solutions.
According to Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), “Land degradation is more than just an environmental issue — it is a direct threat to our health, food and water security, and the stability of societies.”
Thiaw emphasized the importance of restoring land to protect nature, improve well-being, and build a more resilient future.
Colombia’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas, stated, “The protection of agricultural soils and land is an urgent imperative in the face of interconnected crises threatening our survival: biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, hunger, poverty, and displacement.”
She added that protecting the soil is protecting life and that Colombia is committed to comprehensive policies, including equitable land redistribution and sustainable resource management.
