The UN summit on desertification yesterday called upon the world’s nations to make the planet habitable for everybody and enable the planet itself to live and thrive.
The 12th Conference of Parties (COP 12) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) began yesterday in Ankara as the Turkish capital emerged from the shock of twin bomb blasts on Saturday that left 86 people dead.
As the conference opened, participants from the across the globe expressed their shock and condemnation of the bombing.
Professor Dr Veysel Eroglu, Turkey’s minister of forestry and water affairs, presided over COP 12 in keeping with a tradition that the host country usually holds the UNCCD COP presidency.
“Live and let the world live. Our lives and civilisation depend on the soil,” Eroglu said. “It is not just an environmental issue … but threatens food security, water scarcity, forced migration and so on.”
“Combating desertification requires concentrated effort – national and regional effort,” Eroglu said.
Soil degradation, global warming, climate change, desertification and drought are global challenges that directly affect 1.5 billion people and almost 4 billion hectares of land in more than 110 countries.
Speakers said combating desertification was necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Food security, water security, the responsible stewardship of resources, responsible production and consumption patterns, inclusive and sustainable growth, poverty eradication and climate change resilience are among the major SDGs.
Special Adviser to the President of France Nicolas Hulot, speaking as special guest, said 2015 was a crucial year for mankind. “Combating desertification cannot be de-linked from combating climate change … We are talking about over two billion individuals. Solidarity is not an option but a prerequisite. We cannot just confine ourselves to intentions, we have to act.”
Eroglu said Turkey is ready to support the implementation of the Ankara Initiative. “We are currently supporting a number of countries in preventing land degradation. The Ankara Initiative will be adopted at COP 12.”
He said: “Let us all work together to achieve targets [to neutralise soil degradation].”
