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UN Launches World's Largest Program To Fight Desertification In Africa
The United Nations and international lenders on Monday launched a multi-billion-dollar initiative to fight desertification in Africa, billed as the world's largest scheme to prevent land degradation. TerrAfrica plans to invest four billion dollars (3.3 billion euros) over 12 years to stem the expansion of African deserts and promote sustainable land management as part of wider efforts to reduce the continent's crushing poverty, officials said. The multi-agency partnership, made up of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), The World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), hopes to coordinate a concerted push to ease the problem which affects more than 65 percent of all Africans, they said. Formed in response to calls to action by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), it aims to increase agricultural productivity by six percent a year and encourage governments to allocate 10 percent of their national budgets for agriculture, they said. "It promises to be a real shot in the arm to restoring the health of the continent's fragile lands and overcoming the seemingly relentless slide," UNEP executive director Klaus Toepfer told a news conference. Environmental economists estimate that every dollar strategically invested in anti-land degradation measures can garner a three-dollar return, he said. Despite increased financial resources, TerrAfrica officials acknowledged the need for community involvement to fully address desertification. "The challenge is to not only mobilize the communities on this issue, but to include them so they become part of the elements of change," said Kenya's deputy environment minister and Nobel peace laureate Wangari Maathai. TerrAfrica was formed as senior officials from the 179 state parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification are meeting at UNEP's Nairobi headquarters to discuss progress made on halting land degradation. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Related Links SinoDaily Search SinoDaily Subscribe To SinoDaily Express 
UN Urges Early Warning Systems To Combat Desertification
Nairobi (AFP) Oct 17, 2005More than 250 million people worldwide are directly affected by creeping desertification, the United Nations said Monday, urging the creation of early warning systems to fight the expansion of deserts. |
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