World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a day to raise awareness about the global challenges of desertification, land degradation, and drought. Through a variety of events and activities, the observance aims to focus public attention on land and soil conservation, while also promoting sustainable land management practices. It highlights the importance of these issues and their effect on agricultural productivity, local and regional sustainability, and human livelihoods worldwide.

Since 1995, the United Nations has observed the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought yearly following the adoption of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994 as a direct response to the severe droughts and resulting famine that affected Africa in the early 1970s and 1980s. Despite Canada's geographical distance from the countries most affected by desertification, it is crucial that Canadians participate in this observance as climate change, land mismanagement, and unsustainable resource exploitation continue to impact our environment, economy, and global food security.

In Canada, the observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is marked through educational campaigns, workshops, and seminars promoting sustainable land management practices, conservation programs, and the sharing of success stories. Canadians are encouraged to participate in fostering greater public awareness and understanding of the issues surrounding desertification and drought. These efforts contribute not only to the mitigation of climate change and its effects on food security worldwide but also to the ultimate goal of building a healthier, more resilient, and sustainable world for future generations. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17th every year.

Top 10 Facts for 2026 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in Canada

• The 2026 global observance of this day is held under the official theme Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore. to highlight the ecological and economic importance of the world’s grazing lands.
• This year’s celebrations are uniquely significant as they coincide with the United Nations-designated International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, an initiative supported by over 100 countries including Canada.
• While spring moisture has offered some relief to the Canadian Prairies, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada reports that southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan remain high-risk areas for moderate to severe drought throughout the 2026 growing season.
• Kenya is the host country for the 2026 global celebrations, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the main international event has been held on the African continent.
• In July 2026, Calgary will host the opening leg of the North American Grazing Lands Congress, where international delegates will tour one of the continent's largest grazing cooperatives to study sustainable biodiversity outcomes.
• Saskatchewan has officially proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to celebrate the native prairie ecosystems that support the province's multi-billion dollar livestock sector.
• As part of a community reading initiative in Saskatchewan, residents are participating in the One Book, One Province program featuring the literary work Towards a Prairie Atonement to reflect on the history and conservation of grasslands.
• The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD, known as COP17, is scheduled to take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in August 2026 under the theme Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.
• A major global storytelling initiative called the Silk Road Caravan is currently traversing Eurasia to document traditional and scientific solutions to land degradation, which will be featured in a forthcoming long-form documentary at the 2026 global conference.
• In British Columbia, despite a slow start to the season, 2026 is projected to be one of the hottest years on record, leading to an expansion of abnormally dry conditions across the southern interior and coastal regions.

In the News and Trending in Canada for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Top things to do in Canada for this observance

• Learn about the UN's great green wall initiative. Once finished, it will become the largest living structure on the planet.
• Watch several short films on desertification and drought.
• Watch a documentary to learn more about desertification in Canada. Here are our recommendations:
  1. Drought on the Prairies (2018) - This documentary examines the ongoing drought in the Canadian prairie region, exploring the impact on agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems.
  2. Water Scarcity and Climate Change in Canada (2016) - This documentary looks at the effects of climate change on water availability in Canada, with a particular focus on drought and desertification.
  3. Weather Gone Wild (2014) - A CBC documentary that takes a look at extreme weather events across Canada, including droughts and their consequences on agriculture and water supplies.
• Read a book to learn more about drought in Canada. Here are our suggestions:
  1. Comparative Assessment of Climate Change and Drought: A Canadian Prairie Case Study by David A. Sauchyn, Jinny J. C. Tran, and Vibha Tyagi
  2. Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Strategies to Reduce Desertification and Drought in Canada by Victoria Fraser
  3. Drought on the Canadian Prairies: A review of the twentieth-century Drought years in Canada, 1900-2000 by Shannon Bartling, Elzarie Van Aswegen, and Josef Pieterse