Land degradation, water scarcity, poverty, and hunger are major problems faced in drylands across the world. Drylands are degraded across continents due to over-cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, poor irrigation, and rise in temperatures. When land degradation occurs in the drylands, it is referred to as desertification, which is one of the most destructive disasters in drylands, damaging crops and livestock, and trapping millions of people in poverty. The problems related to drylands are complex, and their severity is increasing with climate change. Increasing farm and off-farm incomes, encouraging climate-resilient technologies like solar and wind power plants, and ecotourism in drylands can help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of land degradation neutrality, no poverty, zero hunger, and climate action. Read more... |