U.N. Conference on desertification, in retrospect

The United Nations Conference on Desertification was the first occasion on which the nations of the world turned their concerted attention to the need for a comprehensive plan to halt and reverse desertification. The global annual loss to desertification is in the order of 60,000 km2. 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 another cause, but no firm evidence is available that the climate is so changing. The Conference concluded that both the causes of desertification and the technical solutions to combating it 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 The paper includes a comprehensive summary of the unpublished statements of the various national governments and some international agencies regarding their problems, an analysis of the findings of the Conference, and a brief discussion of action taken since its conclusion