World Bank Urges Countries to Fight Desertification

The Bank called for sustained and collective action by the international community to address land degradation and desertification, adding that for these efforts to succeed, action must be guided and defined at the country level. The Bank views sustainable land management as a poverty reduction and development instrument at local, national, regional, and global levels. The Bank has been involved in projects in numerous countries with a focus on poverty reduction, combating desertification and land degradation and managing the effects of drought. Between fiscal years 2001 and 2006, the Bank committed US $1.4 billion for projects in natural resources management, with US $701 million specifically aimed at sustainable land management.