Proud of our deserts while combating desertification

THE term “desertification” refers to the irreversible degradation of land in dry climates, resulting in the loss of the land’s biological productivity.

It is a worldwide problem directly affecting up to one-third of the planet’s land surface, with a devastating effect on the stability of rural livelihoods. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2006 the ‘International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD)’.It aims to slow down the pace of desertification, and has invited governments and other partners to support the celebration of this year.The aim is to raise public awareness on deserts and to protect their biological diversity, as well as to conserve the traditional knowledge of local communities affected by this phenomenon.For Namibia to achieve its Millennium Development Goals, combating desertification must be regarded as a major political and scientific obligation to sustain livelihoods in communities.Namibia is taking forward the programme under the banner ‘Proud of our deserts while combating desertification’.The celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) for 2006 focuses on the UN theme.This day is celebrated worldwide each June 17 to emphasise that desertification is a global problem.This year’s local theme is “the beauty of deserts – the challenge of desertification”.The celebration aims to strengthen the visibility and importance of the drylands issue on the international environmental agenda.As part of the activities, a group of international experts met in Namibia to discuss the role of information circulation systems in science and practical approaches to combat desertification.A conference, funded by the European Union, was held at Ondangwa from April 2 to 9.Participants discussed measures to improve communication of ideas to combat and reverse desertification.Information from scientists is often technical and complicated for people to understand.How then, should scientists get their results across to policymakers, rural farmers and the public? And how should these diverse people share ideas and contributions? To improve the circulation of information among these groups, information has to be integrated and translated into a language understandable by information users.A recommendation made to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was to create an integrated information circulation system that links and integrates data and information.This system would deliver scientifically sound but technically uncomplicated information for action by civil society, decision-makers and the scientific community.In Namibia, the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and Gobabeb Training and Research Centre are involved in exchange of information and experiences gained during Namibia’s Programme to Combat Desertification (Napcod).This programme aimed to help setup forums at which communal farmers, with Government services and other support organisations, could identify their main livelihood aims and then find ways to reach them while sustaining the resources they depended on.The approach of “putting the community in the driver’s seat” uses a bottom-up approach and was found to be most appropriate for combating desertification.* Clarence Mazambani and John Pallet are employed at the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN)The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2006 the ‘International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD)’.It aims to slow down the pace of desertification, and has invited governments and other partners to support the celebration of this year.The aim is to raise public awareness on deserts and to protect their biological diversity, as well as to conserve the traditional knowledge of local communities affected by this phenomenon.For Namibia to achieve its Millennium Development Goals, combating desertification must be regarded as a major political and scientific obligation to sustain livelihoods in communities.Namibia is taking forward the programme under the banner ‘Proud of our deserts while combating desertification’.The celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) for 2006 focuses on the UN theme.This day is celebrated worldwide each June 17 to emphasise that desertification is a global problem.This year’s local theme is “the beauty of deserts – the challenge of desertification”.The celebration aims to strengthen the visibility and importance of the drylands issue on the international environmental agenda.As part of the activities, a group of international experts met in Namibia to discuss the role of information circulation systems in science and practical approaches to combat desertification.A conference, funded by the European Union, was held at Ondangwa from April 2 to 9.Participants discussed measures to improve communication of ideas to combat and reverse desertification.Information from scientists is often technical and complicated for people to understand.How then, should scientists get their results across to policymakers, rural farmers and the public? And how should these diverse people share ideas and contributions? To improve the circulation of information among these groups, information has to be integrated and translated into a language understandable by information users.A recommendation made to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was to create an integrated information circulation system that links and integrates data and information.This system would deliver scientifically sound but technically uncomplicated information for action by civil society, decision-makers and the scientific community.In Namibia, the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and Gobabeb Training and Research Centre are involved in exchange of information and experiences gained during Namibia’s Programme to Combat Desertification (Napcod).This programme aimed to help setup forums at which communal farmers, with Government services and other support organisations, could identify their main livelihood aims and then find ways to reach them while sustaining the resources they depended on.The approach of “putting the community in the driver’s seat” uses a bottom-up approach and was found to be most appropriate for combating desertification.* Clarence Mazambani and John Pallet are employed at the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN)