Maravi

UNCCD urges improved land productivity

UNCCD urges improved land productivity
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Monday, November 03, 2008 7:10:21 AM

IMPROVING land productivity will boost the capacity to produce more food and tackle the issue of food security, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) had said. UNCCD executive secretary Luc Gnacadja said land could be an opportunity to solve most of the ongoing global crises. "The nexus between land degradation and climate change is clear," he said.

He said global warming was likely to lead to more extreme weather events, such as droughts and heavy rains, which could lead to soil erosion and loss of land cover.

Gnacadja said in order to tackle climate change challenges, there was need to look to the untapped potential of the soil to sequester carbon.

"An ecosystem is like a bank account," Gnacadja noted. "If we keep on withdrawing, and we don't invest by feeding the soil and enabling it to regenerate, we are moving towards bankruptcy."

He said drought and land degradation were predictable, and land degradation was reversible when the tipping point was not reached.

Gnacadja added that the social and economic impacts on livelihoods were to a large extent the result of "public and even global policy failure."

This includes the failure to scale up good practices, to spread available information and knowledge, and to mobilise the required resources.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, LAND, UNCDD

posted by MrK @ 7:11 AM