Good morning Excellencies, representatives from the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, the European Commission, UNCCD, Esteemed Experts, Fellow Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. We are having these discussions today to launch a new report, which points out, in no uncertain terms, the scale and complexities of land degradation, erosion and desertification in the world, especially in Africa.
Land degradation represents one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time and yet too many people are still unaware that it will cost us more to do nothing about this problem than it will to fix it. But this new report on "The Economics of Land Degradation: Benefits of Action Outweigh the Costs of Action in Africa," is an important step towards fixing that and the timing couldn't be more appropriate.
The global population is heading towards 9 billion people and erosion has reduced the productivity of nearly a third of all arable farm land. So the 60 million people already displaced by conflict and disaster, could be joined by many more if secure, nourishing land ceases to be available to them. If I mention that nearly a quarter of the planet's land surface is degraded, that we lose 24 billion tonnes of fertile farmland a year, or that this already impacts more 1,500 million people in 168 countries, then I think you start to get an idea of the scale, the complexities and the risks we face. In other words, if you eat, this affects you.
The main focus of both this report and the complementary report from our colleagues in the Economics of Land Degradation project is to frame the issues, develop scenarios and options, and estimate the benefits and costs of taking action to halt land degradation. There is a special focus on national level estimates based on scientific data and accepted methodologies from Africa. It remains the most severely affected region, with nearly half of the continent's surface already feeling the effects of desertification.
However, this isn't just an African problem, it is a global one. So the report also draws attention to the global loss of ecosystem services costing some $6-10 trillion and to the impact on 97% of the global food supply from terrestrial ecosystems.
More importantly, while raising awareness of such problems is crucial, the best thing about this report is that also offers some of the solutions. In fact, this work is a great example of how investment in green solutions pays dividends for the economy as well as the environment. Quite simply, as the title indicates: the benefits of action outweigh the costs.
For Africa as a whole, that cost-benefit ratio is around 7 to 1, with some 12% of the region's GDP in play. But let me give you some concrete examples. At a national level, adopting sustainable agroforestry in Mali could generate $13 for every $1 invested. At a regional level, better land management across the continent would allow farmers to produce an additional 280 million tonnes of cereal crops every year. And at a global level, resolving the problems of land degradation could generate global economic gains of $1.4 billion per year. These numbers makes it very clear that doing nothing is a lot more expensive than doing something to turn the situation around, be it for Africa or the world.
UNEP has worked with some great partners on the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative to develop a better understanding of these issues. This is a truly global initiative, based on sound economic research by a network of partners with a joint vision. They have created a unique resource that should be a fundamental part of public-private decision making. In particular, I should mention the support of The German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, The European Commission, UNCCD and the Korean Forest Service.
There were too many of you to thank everybody individually today, but you know who you are and I hope that you also know how much your efforts are appreciated, because by increasing awareness of the costs and benefits of land management, more strategic decisions can be taken at every level.
This really is an unprecedented piece of work. It covers over 100 million hectares of crop land in 42 African countries, providing the baseline for empirical data gathering over the next 15 years. This allows individual nations to realign their management of land-based resources and provides critical monitoring of both land degradation and its impact across the 17 sustainable development goals. This is particularly evident for Goal 3 for Good Health & Well-Being, Goal 15 for Life on land and Goal 17 for Partnerships. However, there is no mistaking the degree to which goals on poverty, hunger, clean water, decent work and economic growth, infrastructure or sustainable communities will also be touched.
The 17 goals are knitted together and an issue like land degradation is an excellent example of how complex a pattern it is. That's why robust, transparent scientific data and measurement is essential both to delivering the goals and to securing their credibility. The long term approach these researchers have taken, will not only provide the economic arguments to combat land degradation, it will improve the quality of life for generations to come.
When you walked into this room today, you were a disparate mix of individuals from governments, NGOs, academia, the media and industry. You each brought different backgrounds and have different reasons for coming here. But, when you leave, I hope you will be united in seeking concrete action to address the issues covered by this amazing piece of work. Because publishing this report will only take us so far, but to go all the way - to make a real difference - we need people like you. We need you to help raise awareness of the scale and complexity of these issues, create social, political and business cases for investment in the opportunities and start driving ground level action to change both habits and perceptions. I hope that I can count on each of you to do exactly that. Thank you.
