Forests keep drylands working

The World Day to Combat Desertification is observed each year on June 17 all over the world. The aim of this United Nations designated day is to sensitize the public and policy makers to the increasing dangers of desertification, land degradation and drought for the international community. The theme this year, 2011, being the International Year on Forests, focusses specifically on the forests in the drylands areas of the world, guided by the motto: ‘Forests keep drylands working’.
UN sources explain that "Desertification, land degradation and drought threaten human security by depriving people of the means to decent livelihoods. They undercut food production, access to water and the means to economic activity, and even destroy their homes. At worst, they lead to a breakdown in national and regional security as people are forced to leave their homes or to engage in low- or high-level intensity conflicts over increased or extended periods of resource scarcity. Land degradation in the drylands, commonly known as desertification, begins with the clearing of vegetation, which means that forests are the first step towards healing the drylands and protecting them from desertification and drought".
Linda Bordoni spoke to FAO's Caterina Batello, team-leader in the Crop Productions and Protection Division, and technical expert in the area of climate change and grassland and rangeland rehabilitation as a tool to combat desertification and land degradation...
listen to the interview...