Desertification

Desertification refers to the degradation of arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid lands, resulting from various causes, including climate change and human activities.

In practical terms, it manifests as a reduction or complete loss of productivity and biological or economic complexity in cultivated lands, both irrigated and non-irrigated, prairies, pastures, forests, or woodland areas. This decline is caused by land use systems, or by one or more processes, including those arising from human activities and settlement patterns, such as water and wind erosion, the deterioration of physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils, and the prolonged loss of natural vegetation (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD, Art. 1.f).

Based on the criterion of biological productivity, the United Nations Conference on Desertification, held in Nairobi in 1977, adopted the following definition of desertification: "The reduction or destruction of the biological potential of the land that may lead to desert-like conditions."

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has adopted the definition of desertification as "the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, attributable to various causes, including climate change and human activities" (UNCCD, Art. 1.a).

The UNCCD aims to address both the social and economic dimensions of the phenomenon, not limiting itself solely to environmental or agro-forestry aspects, but placing significant emphasis on enhancing the capacity for planning and intervention at both national and local levels. It promotes the development of National Action Programmes (NAPs) aimed at sustainable development, with the goal of reducing soil productivity losses caused by climate change and human activities.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), introduced in June 1994 in Paris, came into force in December 1996 and is the most widely adopted United Nations convention. It is the only legally binding international agreement linking the environment and development to sustainable land management. Countries affected by desertification are grouped into macro-regions, known as the “Annexes,” which constitute the regional framework for the implementation of the Convention:

• Annex I - Africa;
• Annex II - Asia;
• Annex III - Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Annex IV - North Mediterranean (in addition to Italy, Albania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Turkey, and Hungary);
• Annex V - Central and Eastern Europe.

The organs of the Convention are the Conference of the Parties (COP), which is responsible for regulating the application of the Convention, thus serving as the sole decision-making body; the Committee on Science and Technology (CST), which provides the COP with information and advice on scientific and technological matters; and the Committee for the Review and Implementation of the Convention (CRIC), which assists the COP in regularly reviewing the implementation of the Convention, based on experience gained at the international, national, and sub-regional levels.

Other institutions of the Convention include the Secretariat, which coordinates activities within the COP, provides services to subsidiary bodies, and assists affected countries, and the Global Mechanism, which plays a role in identifying and providing information to the Parties, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations on available funding sources and mechanisms, to facilitate their coordination.

The dynamics of land, climate, and biodiversity are intimately connected. Therefore, the UNCCD works closely with the other two Rio Conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to address these complex challenges through an integrated approach and the best possible use of natural resources.

The current 2018-2030 Strategic Framework was adopted in 2017 (COP13) and is aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its focus is on achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), in line with target 15.3 of the 2030 Agenda: "By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soils, including those affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world." The definition of LDN adopted by the UNCCD is: "the state in which the amount and quality of land resources required to support ecosystem functions and services and to enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems." The UNCCD is recognized as the Custodian Agency for the implementation of SDG target 15.3.

The signature of the Convention in 1994, followed by its subsequent ratification through Law n° 170 of June 4, 1997, gives Italy a dual role as both a "donor" country and an "affected" country, as outlined in Annex IV - "Countries of the North Mediterranean", and defines its obligations.

As a country affected by desertification, Italy is obligated to define, adopt, implement, and update the National Action Programme for combating drought and desertification.

As a donor country, Italy is obligated to provide its support for the fight against desertification in developing countries.

At the institutional level, both the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) are involved.

The MAECI primarily handles international cooperation aspects and appoints the Focal Point for the Convention, who is responsible for managing the relationship between Italy and the UNCCD. The Focal Point also ensures institutional coordination with various Italian stakeholders.

The MASE is responsible for the implementation of the Convention on the national level. Over time, several cooperation projects have been funded, the most recent of which is the project titled "Creating Land Opportunity: Transforming Livelihoods through Landscape Restoration in the Sahel".