Did you know that land degradation and desertification affect over three billion people? As the world commemorates World Environment Day under the theme “land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience”, a clarion call has been made for swift and effective action.
According to leading experts, pollution and climate chaos are turning healthy lands into deserts and thriving ecosystems into dead zones. Inger Anderson, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said freshwater ecosystems are also degraded, making it harder to grow crops and raise livestock.
“This disproportionately affects smallholder farmers and, of course, the rural poor,” she said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed Anderson’s sentiments, adding that as a result of this, sustainable development is suffering. “We are trapped in a deadly cycle – land use is responsible for eleven percent of the carbon dioxide emissions heating our planet. It’s time to break free.”
Meanwhile, as the largest food-distribution non-profit organisation in Africa, FoodForward SA has seen its commitment to fighting hunger in South Africa reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a staggering 113 152 tonnes in the last year alone, while enabling more than 920 000 beneficiaries to access food daily.
For every tonne of food that FoodForward SA recovers, 5.2 tonnes of greenhouse emissions are saved, explained FoodForward SA managing director Andy du Plessis.
“This equates to the emissions of more than 88 000 passenger vehicles in a year. These results showcase the power of collective action in combating climate change,” Du Plessis said.
“As communities worldwide grapple with the challenges posed by climate change, this milestone not only underscores our commitment to sustainability but also signifies a crucial stride towards a greener, more environmentally conscious future for generations to come.”
What role can you play?
The everyday activities of humans are so significant that they affect the world’s environment, atmosphere, landscape, ecology and climate on a global, and often disruptive scale, noted Dr Lize Barclay, senior lecturer in systems thinking and futures studies at Stellenbosch Business School.
However, the world has seen success stories of land being restored, deserts being rehabilitated, and soil being enriched, she added. “In Africa, the late Wangari Maathai from Kenya founded the Green Belt Movement and motivated Kenyans, especially women, to plant more than 30 million trees.
“In neighbouring Tanzania, the area of Shinyanga was characterised by desertification, but a soil conservation initiative since 1986, which also rallied community effort, financial investment, and the Indigenous practice of Ngitili, led to dramatic restoration of the land and rehabilitation of the soil, as well as marked success in terms of dryland restoration in various locations in the Greater Horn of Africa and the Sahel in Africa.”
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Barclay encourages everyone to contribute to World Environment Day by:
- Spending 10 minutes outside in nature.
- Planting an indigenous tree.
- Eating all the vegetables in your fridge drawer to prevent food waste.
- Making a broth with kitchen scraps.
- Starting a compost bin in your kitchen, which you could then use in your garden or donate.
- Sorting your recycling and supporting waste pickers and informal recyclers in your community.
- Exchanging the non-runoff surfaces around your home for permeable paving.
- Exchanging your lawns for an organic food garden.
- Remembering to take your heap of fabric bags when you go shopping.
- Taking your own containers, reusable coffee mug or water bottle when you leave home.
- Cleaning up an area, such as a beach, river, or next to the road (but ensure your safety).
- Going vegan for the day (rice, beans, lentils, oats, and vegetables are all really good ingredients for affordable and delicious vegan dishes).
- Donating seed packets to community farms.
- Buying local and organic.
- Telling somebody else about World Environment Day.
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