THE WORLD BANK: PROTECTING LAND IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY

Desertification and land degradation are global problems that severely impact poverty alleviation efforts and the natural resource base, inhibiting development prospects for many communities and countries. More than 2 billion hectares of land around the world are affected, with about 1 billion people who depend on land and agriculture for their livelihoods living in a state of unacceptable poverty.

The situation is particularly acute in Africa. W ith two-thirds of its arable land expected to be lost by 2025, land degradation currently drives a 3 percent loss of agricultural GDP annually in the Sub-Saharan region, compromising nutritional needs. In Ethiopia alone, GDP loss from reduced agricultural productivity is estimated at $130 million per year. Without sustainable land management, Africa will only be able to feed 40 percent of its population by the year 2025.

In response to this accelerating crisis in Africa, the World Bank is partnering with governments and agencies, including the UNCCD Secretariat and NEPAD, to establish TerrAfrica, a regional platform for cooperative action. TerrAfrica will counter the negative environmental and socio-economic impacts of land degradation, by developing a strategic program of investments in sustainable land management, supported by collaborative research and knowledge sharing. TerrAfrica represents an acknowledgment of the need to shift to a more integrated approach to managing land-use systems and rural productivity by getting the incentive mix right, and by so doing, improving the lives of some of the poorest people on our planet.

For more information on the World Bank's sustainable land management work, please see the website:
www.worldbank.org/landresourcesmanagement