Another step forwards in fighting desertification: for a regional community programme in the circum-Sahara

OSS introductory note no. 2

The process of desertification has three sharp edges: the degradation of land, harder access to ever poorer water, and shrinking biodiversity – all elements which support the lives of many millions. It demands even greater comprehension than the desert itself. It is not just the evocative ‘march of the desert’, fed by naïve images of ‘dune doom’ – it is more pernicious than that. Desertification is the silent crucible of new, inhospitable drylands, killing species and livelihoods by stealth. It is a chilling equation: the lack of means for the proper management of fragile resources under pressure is now compounded by escalating, brutal climatic changes. After reviewing the progress and challenges of exisiting efforts, this outline for a joint programme – in essence a plea to ‘don’t give up the fight’– in the circum-Sahara can help lift today’s fight against desertification to a new level. It offers new opportunities for desertification to be better understood, better managed and better beaten. Opportunities that are transboundary, national, sub-regional, regional, with official bodies, civil society and partners engaged in the common combat.