United Nations Conference on Desertification in Retrospect

The United Nations Conference on Desertification was the first time the nations of the world turned their concerned attention to a comprehensive plan to halt and reverse desertification. The global annual loss to desertification is in the order of 60,000 sq. km. It is man's action that degrades the land by misuse as he seeks to wrest a living from fragile ecosystems. A change to a more arid climate could be a cause, but no firm evidence is available that the climate is so changing. Conference deliberations concluded that the causes and the technical solutions to combatting desertification are known. The key to combative measures is to be found in proper land use. If desertification is to be brought to a halt by the end of the century, considerable financial resources will, however, be necessary. The paper includes a comprehensive summary of the unpublished statements of the various national governments regarding their problems, an analysis of the Conference, and a brief discussion of action taken since the Conference