Curbing land degradation key to ending desertification

The first thing to be done in the fight against desertification is to prevent land degradation and then engage in restoration that rehabilitates the destroyed land, experts said. Caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, desertification directly affects human life and the sustainability of the planet.

Observed on June 17 each year, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a U.N. observance day which focuses on changing public attitudes toward the leading driver of desertification and land degradation.

On the occasion of the day, Deniz Ataç, CEO of the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA), and Hikmet Öztürk, deputy general manager of the foundation, spoke to Anadolu Agency about afforestation activities and creating awareness on healthy nature.

Contrary to common belief, desertification, which is seen as the "expansion of existing deserts," refers to the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas where land productivity decreases, said Öztürk.

"The destruction of natural areas, degradation of an agricultural area or loss of it by erosion, the covering of agricultural land with concrete and asphalt or drying of wetlands and decreased water presence are all examples of desertification," he noted.

Touching on the role of afforestation, which works against desertification, Öztürk stressed that afforestation, which is significant and essential to keeping land healthy, not only prevents erosion in areas but also provides living space for many species.

"The human pressure on nature has decreased somewhat during the lockdown time due to the pandemic [...] It is also possible to estimate a decrease in...