2010 World Day to Combat Desertification

The World Day to Combat Desertification is celebrated every year on 17 June since 1995, the same year the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was implemented, to mark the date that the Convention was adopted in Paris, France, in 1994. By 2005, 191 governments around the world had signed the UNCCD, which promotes effective action through innovative programmes and supportive international partnerships.

The World Day to Combat Desertification is observed with a view to raise awareness about the Convention, its concerns and activities.

The United Nations designated 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity.

This year’s slogan, “Enhancing soils anywhere enhances life everywhere”, reflects the theme of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. The UNCCD aims to sensitize the public to the fact that desertification, land degradation and drought dramatically affect biodiversity resident in the soil.