Droughts are becoming more frequent and ferocious in all regions.

The well-being of hundreds of millions of people is being compromised by increased sandstorms, forest fires, agricultural production breaks, displacement sprees and conflicts.

By the mid-19th century, three quarters of people could be living in drought.

Climate change requires a lot of responsibility, but also the way we manage our land.

Half of the world's population is already dealing with the consequences of land degradation, with women and girls paying the highest price.

We can and must reverse this downward spiral

Ensuring land and land productivity is an economical and favourable way for the poor to combat climate change and improve the livelihoods and well-being of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.

Empowering women as landowners is also critical to the restoration of land.

We can restore the land by a fraction of what is currently being spent on subsidies that harm the environment.

Every dollar invested in land restoration can generate 30 times more in benefits.

In Africa, the Great Green Wall of the Sahel has restored millions of hectares of land and created thousands of jobs, from Dakar to Djibouti.

But much more needs to be done.

Taking care of our land and its biodiversity can help address the climate crisis and achieve all of our Sustainable Development Goals.

Let us act now to protect our future from drought. 

Thank you very much.

Source: Nações Unidas Brasil