BHUBANESWAR, India, Jun 17 (IPS) – June 17 is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. A new report shows that climate change, overuse and conversion for agriculture, cities and infrastructure, which also drive drought and desertification, have already degraded one fifth of the planet’s land area.
“Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic and there is no vaccine to cure it.”

Three Truths to Address Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment in the UN
COP27 Fiddling as World Warms
UN chief highlights crucial role of G20 in resolving global crises
Somalia: Human rights chief decries steep rise in civilian casualties
Ukraine: UN convoy delivers vital aid to residents of Kherson
COP27: Week two opens with focus on water, women and more negotiations on ‘loss and damage’
A new treatment could restore some mobility in people paralyzed by strokes
What has Perseverance found in two years on Mars?
This robot automatically tucks its limbs to squeeze through spaces
Greta Thunberg’s new book urges the world to take climate action now