What's Being Done

 124 countries have so far signed and ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This is an international treaty, which was developed from the 1992 Earth Summit, where governments met to discuss global environmental problems. African leaders insisted that the problem of land degradation be given high priority by world leaders, and the Desertification Convention was the result. The UN adopted the Convention in 1994. The Convention gives priority to Africa, and it commits every government that signs it to draw up a national strategy to deal with land degradation, to set aside sufficient funds to tackle the problem, and to consult local people before any decisions are taken. The Desertification Convention is the only UN treaty that encourages governments to involve local people in solving national problems. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and the Department of Agriculture, are working to conserve water and to educate farmers about the problem and its solutions. The United Nations Environment Program has estimated that 4.2 billion dollars will need to be spent every year for the next twenty years to prevent the process of desertification.