Every day across Africa, millions of people depend on healthy land for their survival. Farmers rely on fertile soil to grow food, pastoralists depend on grazing lands to sustain livestock, and communities draw their livelihoods from ecosystems that have supported generations. Yet across vast stretches of the continent, those lifelines are under increasing threat.
The consequences are already visible. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, affecting nearly half of humanity. Land degradation and drought are estimated to cost the global economy approximately US$878 billion annually, while drought alone accounts for losses exceeding US$300 billion each year.
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These alarming realities underscore the importance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed annually on June 17. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, the observance seeks to raise awareness and mobilise action against land degradation, desertification, and drought.
The 2026 theme, “Rangelands: Recognise. Respect. Restore.”, draws global attention to the importance of rangelands, including grasslands, savannas, shrublands, and grazing lands, which cover more than half of the Earth’s land surface. According to the UNCCD, these ecosystems support approximately two billion people and provide nearly 70% of global livestock feed.
Why Rangelands Matter
Rangelands are among the world’s most valuable ecosystems. They support food production, conserve biodiversity, store carbon, regulate water systems, and sustain millions of livelihoods.
Yet these critical landscapes are increasingly under pressure. According to the UNCCD, up to half of the world’s rangelands are degraded or at risk of degradation, threatening food security, environmental stability, and economic wellbeing.
The 2026 campaign highlights three urgent priorities:
• Recognise the ecological, social, and economic value of rangelands.
• Respect the pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, and traditional communities who have protected these landscapes for generations.
• Restore degraded ecosystems through sustainable land management practices and increased investment in restoration initiatives.
Africa’s Disproportionate Burden
No continent bears a heavier burden from desertification and land degradation than Africa.
According to the UNCCD, approximately two-thirds of Africa consists of deserts and drylands, while nearly three-quarters of these areas are already degraded. Data from the African Development Bank and the UNCCD indicate that more than 45% of the world’s degraded land is located on the continent.
Additional estimates cited by Earth.org suggest that 65% of Africa’s productive land has been degraded, with 45% already affected by desertification and a further 55% facing significant risk.
The consequences are profound and far-reaching. Agricultural productivity declines, water resources become scarcer, biodiversity is lost, and millions of people face growing food insecurity.
Nowhere is this challenge more visible than in the Sahel region, where recurring droughts and land degradation continue to contribute to the southward expansion of desert conditions. Northern Nigeria remains one of the areas most affected by desert encroachment, changing rainfall patterns, and declining soil fertility.
Africa’s Success Stories
Despite these challenges, Africa has emerged as a global leader in land restoration.
One of the continent’s most ambitious environmental initiatives is the Great Green Wall, launched by the African Union in 2007. Stretching approximately 8,000 kilometres across more than 20 countries from Senegal to Djibouti, the initiative seeks to transform degraded landscapes while improving livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience.
Its objectives include:
• Restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
• Sequestering 250 million tonnes of carbon.
• Creating 10 million green jobs.
According to UNCCD progress reports, participating countries have already restored between 18 and 20 million hectares of degraded land, representing roughly one-fifth of the programme’s overall target. The initiative has also generated hundreds of thousands of jobs and strengthened resilience in communities across countries such as Ethiopia, Senegal, and Niger.
Beyond the Great Green Wall, sustainable land management programmes, reforestation efforts, and farmer-led restoration initiatives continue to demonstrate that environmental degradation can be reversed when governments, communities, and development partners work together.
Kenya Hosts the 2026 Global Observance
In 2026, Kenya hosts the global observance of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
According to UNCCD data, approximately 80% of Kenya’s land area consists of rangelands, supporting millions of people through pastoralism and livestock production.
Kenya’s selection reflects Africa’s growing leadership in climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable land management. It also highlights the continent’s increasingly important role in shaping global conversations around environmental sustainability and land stewardship.
Call to Action
At African Leadership Magazine, we believe that restoring Africa’s landscapes is not only an environmental necessity but also a development imperative.
We call on African governments to increase investment in land restoration, climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem conservation. We encourage the private sector to support restoration initiatives and green innovation that can generate both environmental and economic value.
We also urge development partners to expand support for locally driven solutions that empower communities, women, youth, and pastoralists to become active stewards of the environment.
Most importantly, we encourage every African to play a role. Whether through tree planting, responsible land use, water conservation, environmental advocacy, or participation in local restoration programmes, individual actions matter.
The theme “Rangelands: Recognise. Respect. Restore.” reminds us that healthy land remains the foundation of food security, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience.
Africa faces immense environmental challenges, but it also offers some of the world’s most inspiring examples of restoration and ecological leadership. The achievements of the Great Green Wall and countless community-led initiatives demonstrate that degraded landscapes can be restored, livelihoods can be rebuilt, and ecosystems can recover.
As we commemorate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2026, we must recognise that meaningful change begins with collective responsibility.
The Africa we envision will not be built by governments alone. It will be built by citizens, communities, businesses, and institutions that choose to protect the land that sustains them. The future of Africa’s environment is not a distant challenge. It is a responsibility that begins with the choices we make today.
