Global Efforts to Prevent Desertification
1. UNCCD
(United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)
People started to first realize the problem in Sahel when there was a long drought during the 1970’s. In 1977 people met at the U.N. to discuss the problem of desertification. They came out with a Plan of Action to Combat Desertification which was a written document. The plan was not put into effect immediately though, because of both lack of financial and government support. In 1992, the U.N. met again and this time they developed the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This document started being used in 1996. Affected developed nations need to donate to affected but not developed nations like Africa. This plan will help nations in need of money develop a plan to stop desertification.
Especially, The 10th General Assembly to di
scuss the seriousness of the problem of world desertification and the ways to prevent desertification held in the afternoon at the Changwon in Korea Convention Center in 2011.
It was the first in the history of Asia to hold the UNCCD General Assembly. This event was the largest scale ever to attend the 139 countries and international organizations, NGO officials, etc. About 3,000 people gathered to attend the meeting. It was very honorable thing to hold in Korea.
(http://www.unccd.int/en/Pages/defaut/asp)
2. BJRCCD(Biotechnology Joint Research Center to Combat Desertification)
BJRCCD was established in December 2009 in accordance with the "A science and technology cooperation to prevent desertification" which was concluded at 'The Summit of Korea&China' held in Seoul in August 2008.
The Joint Research Center agrees to promote and strengthen the scientific and technological cooperation in the field of preventing desertification. Both countries are try to make efforts through BJRCCD in order to contribute to the improvement of the ability of science&technology and the solutions of the problems like global-scale climate change and ecosystem destruction.
To combat desertification in China, both nations’ professional organizations should utilize the biotechnology.
3. GBM
(The green belt movement)
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) is an environmental organization that empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. GBM was founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK) to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. GBM encouraged the women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive a small monetary token for their work.
(http://www.greenbeltmovement.org./)
