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Proactive Disclosure

Proactive Disclosure

Land Degradation

Desertification is defined under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors."Land degradation-the loss of productivity in all kinds of soils-is a result of climate-induced drought and of a variety of unsustainable farming and forest management practices. Desertification, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, contributes directly to freshwater scarcity, food insecurity, famine, migration, and conflict.

Men and boys form half-moon shapes to facilitate retention of rainwater © ACDI-CIDA/Roger LeMoyen

Men and boys form half-moon shapes to facilitate retention of rainwater for use in agriculture, in Niger, Africa. Although 30 years ago this area was covered with vegetation, today it has many dried riverbeds.

Land degradation can lead to scarcity of food and water, loss of income, resource conflicts, and environmental deterioration. Land degradation and poverty are closely linked. The majority of the people affected by land degradation are the rural poor, who depend on the land for their survival. Often, they must compete among themselves for dwindling natural resources. Consequently, the land becomes further depleted and thus the cycle of poverty is perpetuated.

Canada is taking action, both at home and around the world, to reverse the effects of land degradation. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), as the national focal point for international land degradation and desertification, is leading Canada's collaborative efforts under the UNCCD and has made land degradation an environmental sustainability priority. Through national action plans established in relation to the UNCCD, Canada supports numerous partnership-based sustainable land management and poverty-reduction initiatives abroad, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Of the three 1992 Rio Conventions, the UNCCD is the sole internationally recognized, legally binding instrument that addresses land degradation in dry land rural areas. With an international membership of 191 Parties, including Canada, the UNCCD promotes ways to mitigate and reverse land degradation through innovative national and local programs, and supportive international partnerships.

CIDA promotes sustainable land management at the national and international levels using an approach that aims to reduce poverty by building the capacity of affected communities to fight land degradation through technical assistance, training, and modest investments in equipment.

Did you know…?

In the Canadian prairies, changes in cropping systems and the adoption of soil conservation practices have reversed, or begun to reverse, the effects of low soil productivity in over 70 percent of the annually cropped land within the last 25 years.
Source: Canada's Report on Domestic Activities Relevant to the UNCCD (2002-2006).
About 30 percent of the Earth's total land surface is affected by desertification.
It is estimated that the livelihood of 250 million persons worldwide is directly affected by desertification.
Annual income loss due to desertification amounts to approximately US$45 billion globally.
Desertification affects the global loss of biodiversity; 27,000 species (three per hour) are lost each year.
Source: The International Development Research Centre

At the local level, CIDA supports a wide range of community-based initiatives, including tree planting to reduce erosion and provide food, fuel, timber, and income; improved tillage and grazing practices to preserve precious topsoil and vegetative cover; sustainable irrigation to return the soil to productivity; and environmental monitoring to help identify areas most at risk.

For more information on how CIDA is contributing to global environmental sustainability, visit:

For more information on desertification, visit: