KUBUQI DESERT, China (AP) — For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, first in a row, then in an intersecting line, gradually forming a grid. Then saplings are planted at the center of...
We often think of the Philippines through the lens of water. We prepare for stronger typhoons, rising seas, and devastating floods. Drought has always been part of the conversation—especially during El Niño years—but it has rarely occupied the same place in our national consciousness. That may...
“If not prevented, desertification of the world can one day make camels the best and sole cars of our civilization,” said Mehmet Murat Ildan, a modern Turkish playwright, novelist, and philosopher recognized for his insightful writings, plays, and novels. Every year on June 17, the...
My recent participation at the UN Land Conference, officially known as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) 16th Conference of Parties, was nothing short of productive and eventful. As a UNCCD Land Hero for 2024 to 2026, I was privileged to speak on behalf of youth...
I am writing this column in Bonn, Germany, following the global observance event conclusion of the 2024 United Nations Desertification and Drought Day. I had the honor of being invited to this event and was formally designated as one of 10 “Land Heroes” — young leaders under 35 who are...