rehabilitation - âDesertification: a threat to humanityâ
16 March 2006
The Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Rejoice Mabudafhasi
today, 16 March 2006, launched the International Year of Deserts and
Desertification in Madibaneng, Sekhukhune in Limpopo. The event was attended by
local mayors in Sekhukhune, representatives from various provincial
departments, the departments of Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry, Land
Affairs, business community, civil society and traditional leaders.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly at its 58th ordinary meeting
declared 2006 the International year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD). The
main objective of the IYDD is to get the message across that desertification is
a major threat to humanity and launch the fight against it as a global
sustainable development challenge.
Speaking during the launch the Deputy Minister said, âthe year seeks to
celebrate the unique ecosystem and cultural diversity of deserts worldwide,
therefore establishing a clear difference between the need to protect deserts
as unique natural habitats and fight against desertification as a global
sustainable development challengeâ.
One of the highlights of the event was the handing over of a R5 million
cheque to the community of Madibaneng for a soil rehabilitation project. The
project activities are designed to be sustainable by means of training the
Madibaneng community in land management, business management as well as
techniques on how to monitor and follow up the land improvements. Other key
objectives of the project are as follows:
* Improve the livestock management and create a livestock market in the
area
* Reverse the process of land degradation through erosion and water run-off,
re-vegetation as well as limited grazing
* Limit further erosion in the area
* Improve the agricultural production systems of at least 110 households
through irrigation systems
* Create three small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the sector of
nursery, fencing and land rehabilitation.
Land degradation affects one third of the planet's land surface and around
one billion people in over 100 countries. Land degradation and desertification
projects and programmes do not happen in isolation but are integrated with
other programmes, the implementation of the NAP is dependant upon initiatives
and programmes like Working for Fire (WfW), Working on Fire (WonFire),
Landcare, Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), People and Parks
and other trans-boundary initiatives.
âLand degradation is obviously not only about land, it is about the peopleâ
said Mabudafhasi. Millions of people are directly affected by natural resource
degradation and many of them live below the poverty line. She went on to say
that rural communities depend on these natural resources for survival yet the
capacity of our countryâs land, water and biological resources to sustain its
people is erodingâ
The IYDD launch will culminate into a roll out of an annual campaign on
desertification throughout the country.
Enquiries:
Molefe Molamu
Tel: (012) 310 3899
Cell: 082 561 6261
Roopa Singh
Tel: (012) 310 3566
Cell: 082 225 3076
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
16 March 2006
