By Rashidat Oladele
The global food supply could face significant disruptions even before temperatures reach the 1.5°C target due to the confluence of climate impacts, water scarcity, and unsustainable agricultural practices, according to Alain-Richard Donwahi, President of the UN’s desertification conference.
Donwahi, who led the UN Cop15 summit on desertification, expressed concern that the effects of climate change are progressing more rapidly than anticipated, exacerbating drought and desertification.
Donwahi likened climate change to a pandemic, urging swift and effective action.
He emphasized that the degradation of the climate is happening faster than projected and that adverse consequences such as soil degradation, water scarcity, and desertification could intensify well before the 1.5°C target is reached.
Related Posts
While global attention often centers on rising temperatures and extreme weather events, Donwahi emphasized the broader impacts on food security, population migration, and inflation caused by droughts. He further highlighted that inadequate farming practices contribute to soil degradation, ultimately affecting agricultural yields.
Encouraging private sector involvement, Donwahi stressed the importance of finding innovative ways to finance sustainable agriculture.
He noted that the private sector’s engagement could yield benefits through improved agricultural practices and investment in agroforestry, offering returns on investment.
Governments signed a treaty in 1992 pledging to combat desertification alongside other major environmental agreements, including the UN framework convention on climate change and the UN convention on biodiversity. However, the issue of desertification often receives less attention.
The conference on desertification is held less frequently than climate summits, with the next one scheduled for Riyadh in December 2024. In contrast, the next climate summit will be held in Dubai in late November.
