Today, the world pauses to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, an annual reminder of the urgent need to protect and restore land degraded by human activity and climate change.
The 2025 commemoration, held under the theme “Restore the Land, Unlock the Opportunities,” is being hosted in Bogotá, Colombia, where delegates from across the globe are convening to chart a path toward sustainable land management.
Desertification refers to the degradation of productive land into arid, desert-like conditions, driven largely by deforestation, climate change, and poor farming practices.
The United Nations estimates that the world loses 12 million hectares of arable land each year–an area roughly equivalent to 300,000 Namboole Stadiums.
Experts warn that unchecked desertification threatens biodiversity, global food security, and water availability.
“If left to fester,” warns one UN official, “desertification could grow from a wound to a cancer, threatening the entire planet.”
Despite the alarming statistics, the situation is not without hope. Scientists and activists alike are championing sustainable agriculture as a key solution.
Agroforestry, crop rotation, conservation tillage, and organic farming have all been cited as effective tools in slowing land degradation and restoring ecosystems.
Beyond international talks, grassroots initiatives continue to make a difference. One such effort is Uganda’s Run4Climate, a flagship campaign under the “Running out of Trees” initiative organized by Tree Adoption Uganda.
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Since 2020, the event has rallied Ugandans around climate action by combining awareness with reforestation.
This year’s Run4Climate is set for June 29, 2025, at Lugogo Hockey Grounds in Kampala, under the theme “Our Environment, Our Future.”
Participation kits, priced at Shs25,000, are available at Guardian Health Pharmacy branches in Ntinda, Naalya, Wandegeya, and Acacia, as well as the Tree Adoption Uganda offices on Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road.
“Every step you run plants the seed of a greener tomorrow,” said one organizer. “This is more than a run–it’s a declaration that we will not let our future dry up.”
As the world gathers in policy forums and takes to the streets in climate runs, the message is clear: healing the planet begins with restoring the land beneath our feet.