Action against land degradation

FGEF strategy for the prevention of land degradation

Land degradation is directly affecting the world heritage

Land degradation occurs when soils lose their capacity to provide services to ecosystems and those who benefit from them. It is characterised by a loss of organic nutrients in soils and results in declining soil fertility and the disruption of drainage patterns.

Land degradation results from climatic variations and human actions. It damages ecosystems in arid zones, affecting both biodiversity and the social and economic conditions of human populations. A billion people across the world are losing their livelihoods as a result of land degradation.
 
Desertification and deforestation are both forms of land degradation.

FGEF priorities for land degradation

The FGEF’s priorities in this area are in line with the French strategy for controlling desertification and land degradation established under the aegis of the MAEE and updated in 2007. The FGEF acts as a priority in the region represented by the member states of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory. It supports the implementation of local projects aiming to strengthen ecosystem resilience, by fostering sustainable agricultural production systems (such as conservation agriculture and agro-ecology), promoting local initiatives and encouraging rational natural resource management.

The FGEF is acting against two forms of land degradation: