In recognition of the United Nations (UN)-designated "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought," June 17, 2010, a U.S. Africa Command senior Meteorological and Oceanographic (METOC) officer stressed the importance of good stewardship of the environment.

Commander Chris Gabriele emphasized that many natural disasters can be exacerbated by improper land management. "Desertification can potentially alter the many micro-climates that exist in Africa particularly along the edges of differing biological zones," said Gabriele.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines desertification as "the process of becoming desert from land mismanagement or climate change." The UN further defines it as, "land degradation in arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities."

According to the UN, Much of this destruction is caused by diverting rivers for agriculture and industry, over-drafting ground water and over-grazing land. Each year, the continent of Africa, which contains one-fifth of the world's surface, loses some 12 million hectares of land use due to degradation and other environmental causes. Nearly half of the African continent is affected by these factors in a region where about sixty percent of the population depends on agriculture for survival.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) -- an outcome of the historic 1992 Rio de Janeiro Environmental Summit -- was adopted in Paris in 1994 and was entered into force in 1996 and currently has about 200 State Parties. The purpose of the convention is to raise awareness of desertification and begin dialogue at a regional, state and community, grass-roots level to educate people about soil conservation, sustainable food production methods, preserving biodiversity and other issues.

Managing Director of the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD Christian Mersmann says "the impact of natural source degradation is potentially even more devastating in financial terms than the current global meltdown." He adds that "The socio-economic cost of inaction on people's livelihoods is colossal."

When secure water and food supplies become scarce, people migrate to areas where these resources exist, displacing millions of people around the world. The African Development World Group projects that there will be 200 million environmentally induced migrants worldwide by the year 2050. The threat is particularly serious in Africa since desertification in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to expand arid and semi-arid areas by 60-90 million hectares by 2090. The implied revenue losses of twenty six percent for drylands by 2060 equals roughly 26 Billion U.S. dollars, according to the African Development Bank, equivalent to three-quarters of aid transfers to the region.

The theme for the 2010 "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought," highlights the relationship between ecosystems, poverty reduction and the overall economic performance of countries primarily in Africa where two-thirds of the continent is either desert or dry lands. Since all of these issues are closely tied together, a solution for arresting and managing desertification and conserving water demands that the international community take a vigorous and comprehensive approach that addresses the needs of humans and all other living species.