Desertification and Drought Day 2025

Every minute, the equivalent of 240 football fields of healthy land is lost to degradation due to a combination of human activities and natural factors that disrupt the soil’s health and ecosystem balance.

Unsustainable agricultural practices, such as excessive use of chemicals and monocropping, strip the land of essential nutrients and organic matter.

Further, deforestation removes tree cover that protects soil from erosion, while urban expansion and industrial development cover the fertile land under concrete.

Climate change worsens the situation through more frequent droughts, floods, and extreme weather events, further reducing the land’s productivity.

Together, these pressures lead to the loss of arable soil, biodiversity decline, and a diminished ability of land to support life.

In 1994, the UN General Assembly designated 17 June as Desertification and Drought Day, an annual event to raise awareness and promote solutions to desertification, land degradation and drought. It is one of the important environmental occasions in the annual calendar. 

This year’s Desertification and Drought Day theme is ‘Restore the land. Unlock the Opportunities.’

The theme for 2025 emphasises the urgency and the importance of restoring nature’s foundation, land, from environmental degradation. This can create jobs, boost food and water security, support climate action and build economic resilience.

It is important that attention and focus are given towards land restoration and conservation efforts, such as reforestation, soil rehabilitation, organic farming, and sustainable farming, which will boost crop yields and ensure a stable food supply. 

Restoring land also helps regulate the water cycle, allowing for better groundwater recharge, cleaner rivers, and more reliable access to water for farming and communities.

By investing in land protection, societies not only safeguard essential natural resources but also support livelihoods and promote long-term economic resilience.

Every year, one country is assigned to host important events for the day. This year’s events will be hosted in Colombia. In 2024, it was held in Germany, the USA hosted in 2023, Spain in 2022, Costa Rica in 2021, and the Republic of Korea in 2020.