News

Sustainable land and water resources management – empowering dryland populations

28.05.2012

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Luc Gnacadja released an important message on water and land sustainable use. The Millennium Development Goal to halve the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water has been met. Between 1990 and 2010, over two billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources, such as piped supplies and protected wells. But many areas of the world, particularly Africa and Asia, are already suffering from water scarcity. UN-Water estimates that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, while two-thirds of the global population could be experiencing water stress. As Gnacadja underlined, by protecting the world’s ecosystems, we can also maintain an effective hydrological cycle. We join Gnacadja’s call for greater water efficiency through sustainable land management.

Photo (c) Silvio Arcangeli / Flickr