Today is the World Day to Combat Desertification, a day to focus on desertification problems around the world, and this year researchers are joining hands with farmers around the world to stand up to one of the greatest, yet most overlooked environmental problems.
We rely on land based ecosystems to provide important benefits for human livelihoods such as: our food, fodder for animals, construction materials, climate regulation and clean water. To achieve this provision sustainably, it is important to promote a balance between activities such as agricultural production, and respect for nature and the environment.
Land degradation in dryland areas dramatically affects the biological diversity of land based ecosystems. The DESIRE Project (www.desire-project.eu) is developing strategies to remediate land degradation in dryland areas. The attached information leaflet shows examples of how these strategies maintain or enhance soil biodiversity.