Land degradation and drought threaten people’s safety
Land degradation, desertification and drought which diminish natural resources threaten the security of people and their means of subsistence, warned the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Wednesday June 5.
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| Marcelline shows the fruits of her labor which grew thanks to the composting of her dry toilets. |
| Photo: IOM/CVN |
“Climate change is depleting soil and reducing water and food resources, and in some places this situation is increasing tensions. Some are forced to emigrate, others are prevented from doing so. Many more are becoming vulnerable”, said IOM Director General Amy Pope in a video message, marking World Environment Day, observed on June 5 each year.
On this World Environment Day, added the UN official, “I join other UN leaders in asking the world to help us restore more land and fight desertification through a joint effort, and build resilience to drought.”
She further called “to act without delay”And “search together”solutions to protect environmental resources “so that migration is always a choice”.
Every year, millions of people are displaced by disasters. In 2023, these led to 26.4 million new internal displacements, according to the 2024 World Report from the Observatory of Situations of Internal Displacement.
According to the World Bank, without rapid and concerted action on climate and development, more than 216 million people could become internal climate migrants by 2050.
APS/VNA/CVN
