Land degradation is accelerating and drought is escalating worldwide. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders clearly acknowledged that desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) are challenges of a global dimension affecting the sustainable development of all countries, in particular developing countries. In view of this, they committed to strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world in the context of sustainable development and to monitor land degradation globally (paragraphs 205–207 of “The future we want”).

La degradación de la tierra se está acelerando, y las sequías van en aumento en todo el mundo. En la conferencia Río+20, los dirigentes mundiales reconocieron sin ambages que la desertificación, la degradación de la tierra y la sequía son problemas de dimensión mundial que afectan al desarrollo sostenible de todos los países, en particular los que están en desarrollo.

Desertification/land degradation is rarely accounted for as an economic issue, and drought barely accounted for as a disaster. Because desertification, land degradation and drought are slow and silent phenomena, they have a way of creeping up on us and thereby leading us to underestimate their socio-economic impacts.

La désertification et la dégradation des terres sont rarement considérées comme un problème économique et la sécheresse est à peine considérée comme une catastrophe. Du fait que la désertification, la dégradation des terres et la sécheresse sont des phénomènes lents et muets, ils progressent peu à peu, nous conduisant à sous-estimer leurs incidences socio-économiques

La desertificación/degradación de la tierra raramente está considerada como un tema económico, y la sequía rara vez como un desastre. Dado que la desertificación, la degradación de la tierra y la sequía son procesos lentos y sigilosos, su avance es subrepticio, y nos inducen a subestimar sus efectos socioeconómicos.

“The great opportunity of the Anthropocene is that we can choose to learn the lessons of the past and steer a new course to a safer future.” Soils are the most significant nonrenewable geo-resource that we have for ensuring water, energy, and food security for present and future generations while adapting and building resilience to climatic change and shocks. But soil’s caring capacity is often forgotten as the missing link in our pursuit of sustainable development.

Land is our natural ally. But the natural conditions of land and soils are not eternal, and must be protected. Soil is the most significant geo-resource we have for ensuring water, energy and food security for present and future generations. Healthy soils are also vital for building resilience and adapting to climate change.

This book is intended as a basic information kit that tells “the story” of desertification, land degradation and drought at the global scale, together with a comprehensive set of graphics. The book indicates trends as they have taken place over the last decades, combining and connecting issues, and present priorities.

Ce livre constitue un ensemble d’informations de base sur la désertification, la dégradation des terres et la sécheresse à l’échelle mondiale, accompagnées d’une série de graphiques. Celui-ci présente les évolutions ayant eu lieu au cours des dernières décennies, en associant les questions et les priorités actuelles.

Este libro tiene como objetivo ser un manual informativo en el que se cuenta “la historia” de la desertificación, la degradación de las tierras y la sequía a escala global acompañado por una completa serie de gráficos. Este libro muestra tendencias que han tenido lugar a lo largo de las últimas décadas, combinando y conectando temas y presentando prioridades.

This book is intended as a basic information kit that tells “the story” of desertification, land degradation and drought at the global scale, together with a comprehensive set of graphics. The book indicates trends as they have taken place over the last decades, combining and connecting issues, and present priorities.

This book is intended as a basic information kit that tells “the story” of desertification, land degradation and drought at the global scale, together with a comprehensive set of graphics. The book indicates trends as they have taken place over the last decades, combining and connecting issues, and present priorities.