Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA

World Day to Combat Desertification: «Drought and water scarcity»

Article, 10.06.2013

The goal of World Day to Combat Desertification on 17 June 2013 is to increase awareness about the risks of drought and water scarcity in drylands. The SDC is interested in this topic as land degradation threatens agriculture and the food security of population groups.

Poverty is as much a cause of desertification as a consequence. Of all the water on Earth, only 2.5 per cent is fresh water. And of this fresh water, the total usable supply for ecosystems and humans is less than 1 per cent. Populations living in drylands are often some of the poorest on the planet and are forced to over-exploit their land to survive. This makes drylands particularly vulnerable to water scarcity.

Last update 19.07.2023

  • Information for the media

    FDFA Communication answers media queries Mondays to Fridays during office hours and operates a weekend emergency on-call service.

Contact

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West
3003 Bern

Phone (for journalists only):
+41 58 460 55 55

Phone (for all other requests):
+41 58 462 31 53

kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Start of page
Swiss representations abroad
Federal Administration online
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA