The Crisis of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought, and the Importance of Land Restoration

Desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD) are a silent and invisible crisis that affects people and the planet. As human life requires fertile and productive lands for many essential activities, desertification represents an important obstacle to sustainable development and an aggravator of poverty, poor health, lack of food security, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, forced migration, and lowered resilience to climate change or natural disasters.​ Estimates indicate that human-induced land degradation affects at least 1.6 billion hectares worldwide, directly affecting 3.2 billion people.

While desertification impacts mostly dryland areas, droughts have become a common event in many areas of the world. The ntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds medium confidence that agricultural and ecological droughts have increased in several regions on all continents, with variable certainty of human-induced climate change impact on these changes (Chapter 11 of the IPCC AR6 of Working Group 1 – 2021).

As the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste impact the health of land it is essential to halt human activities that lead to land degradation and work towards restoring land to protect livelihoods, climate, and biodiversity. According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), restoring degraded land globally could lock away three billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon into the soil every year, supporting the achievement of the 1.5° target. Land restoration is also essential to ensure human rights, sustainable development, food security, employment, disaster risk reduction, ecological benefits, and improved public health.

Desertification

Desertification is defined as land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, mostly climatic variations and human activities (UNCCD, 1994). Although the term can include the encroachment of sand dunes on land, it does not refer to the expansion of existing deserts. It occurs, however, because dryland ecosystems, which cover over one-third of the world’s land area, are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate land use. In the past decades, the range and intensity of desertification have increased, reaching approximately 30 to 35 times the historical rate and the risks from desertification are projected to increase due to climate change (IPCC, 2019). While being a hard process to quantify, desertification is characterized by declining vegetation productivity, reduced agricultural productivity and biodiversity loss (IPCC, 2019).

According to the IPCC, the major human drivers of desertification interacting with climate change are the expansion of croplands, unsustainable land management practices and increased pressure on land from population and income growth. On the other hand, desertification exacerbates climate change through several mechanisms such as changes in vegetation cover, sand and dust aerosols and greenhouse gas fluxes.

Drought

Meteorologically, drought is defined as a prolonged absence or marked deficiency of precipitation that can be characterized as a period of abnormally dry weather with a sufficiently prolonged lack of precipitation as to cause a serious hydrological imbalance (WMO, 1992). Other definitions include impacts like hydrological imbalances that adversely affect land resource productions systems (UNCCD, 1994; Article 1). Put into other words, drought is a climatic phenomenon that can occur almost anywhere in the world when there is a significant decrease in water availability (atmospheric, surface, soil, or groundwater) over a period of weeks to years. Climate change is increasing the frequencies and/or magnitudes of droughts in many regions of the world (IPCC, 2021).

Droughts are among the greatest threats to sustainable development, especially in developing countries, but increasingly so in developed nations too. In fact, forecasts estimate that by 2050 droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population.The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the two previous decades (WMO 2021). When more than 2.3 billion people already face water stress, this is a huge problem.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s 2022 report Droughts in Numbers finds that the African continent has been the most impacted by droughts in the past century, with over 300 episodes and bearing an important death and economic toll around the world. Projections indicate that by 2050, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population, and an estimated 4.8-5.7 billion people will live in areas that are water-scarce for at least one month each year, up from 3.6 billion today. Up to 216 million people could be forced to migrate by 2050, largely due to drought in combination with other factors including water scarcity, declining crop productivity, sea-level rise, and overpopulation.

Land Degradation and Restoration

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) defines land degradation as “the many human-caused processes that drive the decline or loss in biodiversity, ecosystem functions or ecosystem services in any terrestrial and associated aquatic ecosystems”, and restoration as “any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state”. Land degradation affects ecosystem functions worldwide disrupts rainfall patterns, exacerbates extreme weather like droughts or floods, and drives further climate change and it is connected with instability, which drives poverty, conflict, and migration. ​

On the other hand, land restoration is the ecological process of restoring a natural and safe landscape for humans, wildlife, and plant communities (UNCCD). Through land restoration, it is possible to reinstate the land’s function to store carbon, to prevent droughts and floods and increase soil productivity. ​ Land restoration can bring economic benefits amounting to USD 30 for every dollar invested in restoration (UNEP, 2021). Restoration boosts livelihoods, lowers poverty and builds resilience to extreme weather. Restoration increases carbon storage and slows climate change. Restoring just 15 per cent of land and halting further conversation could avoid up to 60 per cent of expected species extinctions.

The Triple Planetary Crisis

The triple planetary crisis is placing the world’s ecosystems under assault, with billions of hectares of land degraded, affecting almost half of the world’s population and threatening half of global GDP. Rural communities, smallholder farmers and the extremely poor are hit hardest.

Climate Change

Good stewardship of the land is vital to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to help the global community stay on track to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

Restoring degraded land globally could lock away three billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon into the soil every year – offsetting around ten percent of the world’s current annual energy-related emissions. Overall, actions to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation can provide over one-third of the climate mitigation needed to keep global warming under 2° by 2030.

Biodiversity Loss

Desertification and drought are threatening lives and livelihoods. Positively harnessing biodiversity in ecosystem restoration could help communities to respond to this threat as well as mitigate against, adapt to the related negative effects of climate change, and improve human wellbeing.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, loss and degradation of habitat threaten around 85 per cent of all species described on the IUCN Red List. Human activities that cause land degradation and lead biodiversity loss are for instance expansion of crop and grazing lands into native vegetation, unsustainable agricultural and forestry practices, urban expansion, infrastructure development and extractive industries (IPBES, 2019).

Drylands support an impressive array of biodiversity. This includes wild endemic species – such as the Saiga Antelope in the Asian steppe and American bison in the North American grasslands that do not occur anywhere else on earth – and cultivated plants and livestock varieties known as agrobiodiversity. Biodiversity in drylands also includes organisms that live in the soil, such as bacteria, fungi and insects – known as soil biodiversity – which are uniquely adapted to the conditions. Soil biodiversity comprises the largest variety of species in drylands – determining carbon, nitrogen and water cycles and thereby, the productivity and resilience of land. The loss of biodiversity in drylands is one of the major causes and outcomes of land degradation.

Pollution and Waste

Pollution and waste — which can come from poor agricultural practices (not rotating crops to unprotected soils or chemical fertiliser and pesticide use) — are one of the main human activities that drive desertification. Poorly managed irrigation schemes that lead to increased salinisation and concentration of dissolved salts in water and soil, also drive such changes in soil quality.

Severe drought conditions can negatively affect air quality. In the way that desertification and land degradation impact climate change through reductions in vegetation cover, desertification can also result in increases in sand and dust aerosols, which can lead to higher exposure to respiratory diseases.

Human Rights Approach to Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought

Desertification, land degradation, and drought have negative consequences for the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights including rights to life, health, water, food, adequate livelihood, self-determination, non-discrimination, cultural rights, the rights of the child and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This was highlighted in a policy brief and its summary released in 2023 by the UN Special Rapporteur on environment and human rights, including various recommendations.

Desertification, land degradation and drought, like most environmental threats, have disproportionate and differentiated impacts on women and girls and negatively impact the cultural identity and rights of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants and local communities that traditionally have a close relationship with, and dependence upon, nature. Such impacts include the following:

Gender inequalities are pervasive when it comes to land. Women are major actors in the global efforts to reduce and reverse land degradation. However, in the vast majority of countries, women have unequal and limited access to and control over land, with less than one in five landholders worldwide being women.

Land degradation negatively affects the cultural identity of some communities, particularly Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and erodes their traditional knowledge and management systems. Though difficult to quantify, many Indigenous Peoples and local communities consider land degradation to cause pronounced loss of their cultural identity and indigenous and local knowledge. It also causes a loss of sense of place and of spiritual connection to the land.

Migration as a result of desertification and land degradation acts synergistically with climate-induced migration, conflict and violence, leading to an exponential increase in displacement over the next several decades. Over 1.3 billion people are trapped on degrading agricultural land: farmers on marginal land, especially in the drylands, have limited options for alternative livelihoods and are often excluded from wider infrastructure and economic development. If no urgent actions are taken to protect, restore and rehabilitate vital land resources, desertification, land degradation and drought will increase poverty and inequality, leaving many with few other options than to embark on perilous out-migration journeys.

As the global environmental crises are also human rights crises, developing and implementing systemic, integrated and human rights-based approaches is imperative to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought. Rights-based approaches impose an obligation to act, are a catalyst for accelerated action, and without a doubt are the most effective, efficient, and equitable way forward. A rights-based approach emphasizes States’ obligation to address the underlying causes of desertification and land degradation.

Global Responses to Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought

Healthy land is central to the well-being of the planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity; it feeds us, shelters us, and provides the backbone to a thriving global economy. Desertification is a global issue, with serious implications worldwide for biodiversity, eco-safety, poverty eradication, socio-economic stability and sustainable development. A global response is needed to respond to the global transboundary crisis of desertification, land degradation, and drought.

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in 1994 to protect and restore our land and ensure a safer, just, and more sustainable future. The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought, and has 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Convention – based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization – is a multilateral commitment to mitigate the impact of land degradation, and protect our land so we can provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) — the Convention’s main decision-making body to guide in responding to global challenges and national needs — has met biennially since 2001. The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) will take place on 2-13 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Held under the theme, “Our Land. Our Future.”, COP16 puts front and center cooperation and collaboration among the three Rio Conventions on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification.

UN Environment Assembly

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) — the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment — places combating desertification, land degradation, and drought high on the agenda, with various resolutions tackling the global crisis.

The UN Environment Assembly, in its sixth session (UNEA 6), adopted a resolution for strengthening international efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, restore degraded lands, promote land conservation and sustainable land management, contribute to land degradation neutrality, and enhance drought resilience (UNEP/EA.6/Res.14). Collaboration and synergies among the Rio Conventions were also underscored in the resolution.

Other resolutions highlighting the need to combat DLDD have also been adopted by UNEA, including:

Engagement with Other Processes

Rio Conventions Joint Liaison Group

Climate change, biological diversity, desertification, land degradation and drought are intricately related on the social, economic and environmental fronts. Because these issues are closely linked, the secretariats of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) are engaged in collaborative actions to solve these challenges at all levels. As such, the secretariats of the three conventions established a Joint Liaison Group (JLG) in August 2001 in order to enhance coordination.

Such collaboration can be seen, for example, in how the CBD has enhanced collaboration with UNCCD and UNFCCC, among other processes, to address “Biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands” (X/35) in 2010.

UNCCD 16th session of the Conference of the Parties

The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 14 December 2024. COP16 was the largest and most inclusive UNCCD COP to date, attracting more than 20,000 participants and featuring more than 600 events.

At COP16, Parties adopted 39 decisions, including:

Creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities.

Continuation of the Convention’s Science-Policy Interface to strengthen science-based decision-making.

Mobilization of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative.

A prototype launch of the International Drought Resilience Observatory, the first global AI-driven platform to help countries assess and enhance their capacity to cope with harsher droughts.

Decisions on the budget, the decision on the midterm evaluation of the Strategic Framework, and the procedural decision on drought were also taken.

Parties adopted the Riyadh Political Declaration.

Over USD 12 billion were pledged to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.

Despite notable efforts, Parties did not agree to begin talks on a new drought framework or legally binding protocol. A procedural decision was adopted to continue discussions based on the progress made at COP 16, with a view to adopting a decision at COP 17, in Mongolia, in 2026.

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration​

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity, were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Two years later, the General Assembly established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), a legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management, and declared 17 June “World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought” (A/RES/49/115). This day, also known as “Desertification and Drought Day”, is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

2025 Theme: Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities

This year, the theme of the Desertification and Drought Day “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities” spotlights how breathing life back into land yields multiple benefits for people and nature. Every dollar invested in restoring degraded lands brings between US$ 7-30 in economic returns. But despite a strong investment case, land restoration is not happening at the scale and pace that are so urgently needed.

World Environment Day 2024

The 2024 edition of World Environment Day focused on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience, as the year marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Role of Geneva

Various international organizations in Geneva – listed below in alphabetical order – are engaged in combating desertification and droughts.

Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention)

The Water Convention, administrated by UNECE, strengthens transboundary water cooperation and measures for the ecologically-sound management and protection of transboundary surface waters and groundwaters. The Convention fosters the implementation of integrated water resources management, in particular the basin approach. The Convention’s implementation contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other international commitments on water, environment and sustainable development.

The Protocol on Water and Health, jointly serviced by UNECE and WHO-Europe , is a unique legally binding instrument aiming to protect human health by better water management and by reducing water-related diseases. The Protocol provides a practical framework to translate into practice the human rights to water and sanitation and to implement SDG 6.

Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations

The Climate and Environment Charter, whose Secretariat is based in Geneva, aims to raise awareness among organizations in the sector on the need to build resilience among communities to face climate impacts such as drought, and how to respond in such situations. As conflict and war are compounded by slow-onset impacts such as drought, the Charter aims to provide guidance on how to take into consideration climate risks to be better prepared and planned. The Charter looks at collective and collaborative action: where the humanitarian sector may not have the expertise, knowledge, skills-set, or capacity to understand, respond, and take into consideration land degradation, and long-term impacts on drought, the Charter provides ways to work better together across climate-development-DRR nexus.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that leads international efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, and for the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources. The FAO Action Against Desertification programme assists local communities, government and civil society to restore drylands and to manage fragile ecosystems in a sustainable way. The FAO Liaison Office in Geneva is engaged in coordinated efforts related to climate change adaptation and natural resources management, among other topics, supporting member states to develop measures in the agriculture sectors in line with the Sendai Framework and the Paris Agreement. The office also collaborated with other Geneva-based organizations to provide contributions and technical work in this area.

Green Growth Knowledge Platform

The Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) is a global community of policy, business, and finance professionals and organisations committed to collaboratively generating, managing, and sharing knowledge on the transition to an inclusive green economy. Tackling issues on drought, land degradation, and desertification, GGKP works on demonstrating how natural capital value could increase by adopting sustainable use and management of pastureland towards green growth and implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Group on Earth Observation (GEO)

The GEO Land Degradation Neutrality Flagship (GEO-LDN) is a stakeholder-driven initiative that was launched in 2018, responding to a request by the UNCCD’s Conference of the Parties (COP13). It brings together Earth observation data providers and governments to develop minimum data quality standards, analytical tools and capacity building needed to strengthen land degradation monitoring and reporting, using remote sensing and data collected on site GEO-LDN helps governments to access the necessary datasets and tools to prioritize interventions, monitor outcomes to manage land better and to report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 15.3.1 (Decision 9/COP.13).

Initiatives of Change (IofC)

Initiatives of Change (IofC), a worldwide community committed to the transformation of society through changes in human motives and behavior, addresses the issues of security, development and the environment simultaneously by bringing together practitioners to exchange experiences and lessons learned. It organizes the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security to bring together practitioners, activists and community and government leaders from Sahelian countries to interact with each other and works to resolve conflict and restore land at the grassroots level in several areas.

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world’s leading source of data and analysis on internal displacement. As part of its work on displacement, disasters and climate change, IDMC monitors displacement associated with disasters, including slow-onset hazards such as droughts, desertification as well as the causes and effects of such events. Publications related to the topic include Monitoring methodology for displacement associated with drought (2020).

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. To support communities in the context of climate-related events, IFRC provides information on what to do to avoid the worst effects of these events and provides support in developing nature-based solutions to adapt to these conditions and prevent displacement. In the case of droughts, IFRC provides information on what to do to prevent worse effects of droughts through agriculture planning for instance, to reduce risks for health and environment and to develop responses, including key messages on drought.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to create a world where people and the planet thrive. IISD is active in monitoring SDGs progress and developing policy briefs that tackle issues of DLDD, among which, From Land Degradation to Land Restoration. Still Only One Earth: Lessons from 50 years of UN sustainable development policy.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

The International Labour Organization (ILO) supports approaches that advance decent work, environmental sustainability and resilience, and address the growing challenges of labour mobility through policies and projects around the world. In 2019, ILO and the UN Convention on Combating Desertification signed a Memorandum of Understanding supporting closer cooperation on climate-related issues, including halting desertification and land degradation, and creating green jobs. ILO also aims to reduce occupational safety and health risks from extreme weather events, including extreme heat, as highlighted in the report, Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate.

International Organization for Migration (IOM, UN Migration)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration promoting international cooperation on migration issues, including those linked and related to global environmental crises. In 2014, IOM and UNCCD signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the 105th session of the IOM Council, and launched a structured collaboration on the land-migration nexus. The partnership aims to increase understanding of challenges and opportunities related to the interlinkages between human mobility and land degradation and create political momentum to bring these questions across global policy agendas.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s largest conservation network with the mission to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and ecosystems. As a partner to the UNCCD since 2011, IUCN supports progress towards policies and programmes that deliver Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through the application of nature-based solutions (NbS) as the preferred option for LDN achievement.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the objective of the IPCC is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC reports are also a key input into international climate change negotiations. The IPCC is an organization of governments that are members of the United Nations or WMO.

Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Minamata Convention on Mercury draws attention to a global and ubiquitous metal that, while naturally occurring, has broad uses in everyday objects and is released to the atmosphere, soil and water from a variety of sources. As part of its effort of addressing mercury pollution in the context of global biodiversity crisis, the Minamata Convention sheds light and addresses the mercury-related effects on land degradation. The 2023 Minamata COP-5 parties adopted decision MC-5/17, Mercury and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, recognizing the potential for generating co-benefits through coherent implementation of both the Minamata Convention and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR, UN Human Rights)

As desertification, land degradation and drought affect a range of human rights, UN Human Rights underscores the human rights approach in combatting this environmental crisis. OHCHR, alongside the UN Environment Management Group Issue Management Group on Human Rights and the Environment, published Key Messages on advancing a human rights-based approach to desertification, land degradation and drought to articulate elements of a gender-responsive, human rights-based approach to land degradation.

Partnership for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR)

PEDRR is a global alliance of UN agencies, NGOs and specialist institutes seeking to promote and scale-up implementation of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and ensure it is mainstreamed in development planning at global, national and local levels. Among other activities, PEDRR is advocating for an ambitious post-2020 biodiversity framework, notably through the promotion of Nature-based Solutions.

Convention on Wetlands Secretariat (Ramsar Convention)

The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) aims to ensure the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution toward achieving sustainable development throughout the world. Wetlands play a key role in regulating climate and storing fresh water, thus are natural solutions to combating desertification and droughts.

Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council

As this global environmental crisis affects a wide range of human rights, various Special Rapporteurs — independent experts under the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council — highlight and promote the human rights-based approach in tackling desertification, land degradation, and drought. A rights-based approach emphasises States’ obligation to address the underlying causes of desertification and land degradation.

As such, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Special Rapporteur on the right to food, and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change have called for rights-based approach to combat desertification, land degradation and drought. The Special Rapporteur on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, David Boyd, in a policy brief and its summary released in 2023, has also emphasised States’ obligation to address the underlying causes of desertification and land degradation, which are the same actions driving the other elements of the planetary environmental crisis.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, or UN Refugees)

The UN Refugees, the global organization mandated to protect and safeguard the rights of refugees, recognizes the adverse effects of climate change, including that of desertification, that contribute to vulnerability, human mobility and displacement and pose increased risk to the human rights of displaced persons. The factsheet on Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights, jointly produced by UNHCR and OHCHR, presents recommendations to protect the human rights of persons displaced in the context of climate change.

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the UN agency engaged in reducing the risks posed by disasters by supporting governments, and decision-makers to adopt better policies and invest in DRR, as well as collect, collate, and share the latest high-quality technical information and data about reducing risk and building resilience more effectively. UNDRR monitors the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supporting countries in its implementation, monitoring and sharing what works in reducing existing risk and preventing the creation of new risk. UNDRR oversees various initiatives to monitor, inform on and reduce the risks of extreme events as the Comprehensive Disaster and Climate Risk Management and the Early Warnings for All Initiative together with IFRC, ITU and WMO among others.

UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) works on regional collaboration on shared challenges, including those posed by droughts and desertification. Cooperation on shared waters can help to improve preparedness for climate-related extremes and, particularly, for droughts, for example through the development of shared information systems or data exchange across sectors, enlarging the range and location of available measures, and sharing costs and benefits.

UN Environment Management Group (UN EMG)

The UN EMG, which supports the UN system for a more coherent, consistent and rights-based approach to their work related to human rights and the environment, published Global Drylands: A UN system-wide response in 2011, which provided a progress on its work to prepare a UN system-wide rapid response and action report on drylands, with proposed options for a coherent UN-wide contribution to drylands challenges.

The Issue Management Group on Human Rights and the Environment of the UN EMG, alongside OHCHR, published Key Messages on advancing a human rights-based approach to desertification, land degradation and drought to articulate elements of a gender-responsive, human rights-based approach to land degradation. They have also published a Strategy for Engagement with the UNCCD to advocate for human rights-based action on DLDD within the framework of the UNCCD.

UN Environment Programme Disaster and Conflicts Branch

The Disasters and Conflicts Branch of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has responded to crisis situations in more than 40 countries since 1999, delivering high-quality environmental expertise to national governments and partners in the UN family. The Branch conducts field-based assessments, works to reduce the risk of disaster, and promotes environmental cooperation for peacebuilding, among other activities. The Branch also provides innovative and efficient environmental solutions that help countries respond to crises and prepare for future emergencies, including those induced by drought, land degradation, and desertification.

UNEP/GRID-Geneva

UNEP/GRID-Geneva is incorporated in the Big Data Branch, within the Early Warning and Assessment Division of the United Nations Environment Programme. UNEP/GRID-Geneva’s mission is to transform data into scientifically validated information in support of environmental early warnings and assessments for sustainable development. Experts of UNEP/GRID-Geneva have also published important research on land degradation, including Knowledge generation using satellite earth observations to support sustainable development goals (SDG): A use case on Land degradation (Gregory Giuliani, Paolo Mazzetti, Mattia Santoro et al.) presents an innovative, scalable and flexible approach to monitor land degradation at various scales (e.g., national, regional, global) using various components of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) platform to leverage EO resources for informing SDG 15.3.1.

UN Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (InforMEA)

InforMEA, an online portal that provides information about Multilateral Environmental Agreements to the public, provides users with consolidated information on UNCCD, including treaty text, decisions, and national reports. It also provides a course on UNCCD in Countries experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa.

UN Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD)

The UN-REDD Programme is a collaborative initiative from the FAO, UNDP and UNEP. The programme supports nationally led REDD+ processes and promotes the informed and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in national and international REDD+ implementation. By protecting forests, REDD+ mechanisms can not only maintain vital ecosystem services and preserve globally significant biodiversity but also sustain livelihood and mitigate climate change.

UN-Water

UN-Water coordinates the efforts of United Nations entities and international organizations working on freshwater and sanitation matters. It provides the platform to address the cross-cutting nature of water and maximize system-wide coordinated action and coherence. As climate change manifests its impacts through worsening floods, rising sea levels, shrinking ice fields, wildfires and droughts, UN-Water advocates for sustainable water management to build the resilience of societies and ecosystems and reduce carbon emissions.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

WBCSD is a platform for businesses to respond to sustainability challenges. After the thirteenth session of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties, WBCSD launched a business declaration summarizing their views and pledges. According to the declaration, for businesses, land degradation can translate into losses through a decline in the availability and quality of raw materials and higher cost of restoration, hence businesses can significantly contribute to the transformation of our economies to become land degradation neutral.

World Economic Forum (WEF)

The World Economic Forum, the international organization for public-private participation, provides a global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders to establish trust, and build initiatives for cooperation and progress. Every year, WEF publishes a Global Risks Report, in which the 2024 edition highlights environmental risks, including increasing droughts and desertification, which rank first in the current risks landscape.

World Health Organization (WHO)

As the health cluster lead for global emergencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) works with partners to respond to drought-related disasters. This includes: ensuring appropriate food supplementation; health services, like immunization, child and maternal health, and mental health; assembling mobile health teams and outreach; epidemic surveillance, early warning and response; and calling for emergency funding to support health action.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations and the system’s authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources. World Vision To create a thriving environment for children and the future generations to come, by restoring the natural environment and working for climate justice, World Vision works on projects collaborating with the communities to identify the most vulnerable households and provide them with work. This includes through emergency response, relief and resilience building, during and after disasters, such as when droughts hit an area. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) WWF is an independent conservation organization active in nearly 100 countries working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. WWF is engaged on multiple fronts to help people and nature prepare for the many impacts of a changing climate. WWF works with communities and governments to understand and prepare for climate change; integrate environmental considerations into disaster recovery, reconstruction, and risk reduction; studies how people’s responses to climate change affect ecosystems and wildlife and assesses species to determine traits that make them resilient or vulnerable to changes in climate.

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Further Resources

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals and plants. It can even damage buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gasses, solid particles or liquid droplets.

Sources of Air Pollution

Pollution enters the Earth’s atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people burning fossil fuels, which include coal, natural gas and oil. Problems with human-caused air pollution began in the mid-1700s, when Europe and North America entered the period of time known as the Industrial Revolution. During this time, the rise in air pollution was largely caused by more people burning coal to heat their homes and to power factories and engines.

Today, the burning of fossil fuels—in vehicles, airplanes, power plants and factories—is still a major source of air pollutants, meaning substances that contaminate the air. Cigarette and e-cigarette (or vape) smoke are also considered air pollution. These human-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources. Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires, ash from volcanoes and windblown sand or dust, occur naturally. These are called natural sources.

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Mountains or tall buildings in and around cities can prevent air pollution from spreading. This air pollution, called smog, often appears as a cloud making the air murky. The word “smog” comes from combining the words “smoke” and “fog.”

Large cities in economically developing nations tend to have worse air pollution than cities in economically developed nations. This is largely because of fewer regulations, lower financial resources and lack of access to cleaner fuels. According to the 2023 World Air Quality Report, the world’s top four most polluted cities were all in India. Still, economically developed nations also have air pollution problems. In 2022, Italy and Poland were at the top of a list of European countries with the worst air quality. In the United States, the city of Los Angeles, California is known to be the smoggiest city in the country.

Indoor Air Pollution

Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But air pollution is also a concern indoors.

Naturally occurring radon gas—a cancer-causing material—is released through the surface of the Earth and can build up in homes. There are many tools and methods to help owners reduce radon levels in their homes and other buildings.

Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to human health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold’s spores can then enter the air and spread throughout the house, causing anyone who breathes in the spores to become sick. Smoking is also a source of indoor pollution. Secondhand smoke—breathing in smoke from someone else using a cigarette—can raise the risk of lung cancer.

Heating a house by burning substances, such as kerosene, wood or coal, can expose residents to harmful smoke. The people who suffer the most from using these sources of fuel are women and children in low- to middle-income countries, where they often do not have access to electricity and where other fuels are too expensive or inaccessible.

Effects on Humans

People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. These effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects.

Short-term effects, which may be temporary , include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They may include discomfort, such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness and nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant.

Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person’s death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory disease, such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people’s nerves, brain, kidneys, liver and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants can raise the risk of birth defects. The State of Global Air Report estimates that, worldwide in 2021, about 8 million people died from exposure to air pollution.

People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults—whose immune systems tend to be weaker—are often more sensitive to pollution. Certain conditions, such as asthma, heart disease and lung disease, can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors.

The most dangerous kinds of air pollution are fine particulate matter and ultrafine particulate matter. Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that travel through the air in smoke from diesel engines and in windblown dust and dust storms. Wildfire smoke also carries dangerous particulate matter. Fine particulate matter ranges in size from less than 2.5 to 10 micrometers. (This is much smaller than a human hair, which is roughly 50 to 70 micrometers wide.) Ultrafine particulate matter measures at 0.1 micrometers, or 100 nanometers, or even smaller.

When people breathe in smoke or dust, the fine and ultrafine particulate matter can enter their lungs, travel through the bloodstream and affect major organs. Prolonged exposure can lead to serious illness and even death. Again, the length of exposure and the amount and type of pollutants are deciding factors.

Effects on the Environment

Like people, animals and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer the effects of air pollution.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from power plants and motor vehicles that burn fossil fuels. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition, degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams, and harms crops. It can even cause buildings and monuments to decay.

Air pollution can also directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can damage crops or reduce their yield, and it can harm young trees and other plants. Air pollution can even directly damage buildings. Some pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, break down stone and other materials.

Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Disease, DNA damage and harm to the reproductive systems of animals have all been attributed to air pollution.

Air pollution also affects visibility of the environment. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors.

Global Warming

Global warming—a phenomenon caused by anthropogenic air pollution—refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Greenhouse gasses trap heat energy in the Earth’s atmosphere. This “greenhouse effect” is how the planet stays warm enough for humans and other life to survive. But human activities are releasing too much of these gasses into the atmosphere, causing Earth’s overall temperature to rise.

Humans have come to rely on burning fossil fuels to power vehicles, heat homes and run factories, at the cost of polluting the air with carbon dioxide. Energy consumption, including heat and electricity generation, is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation, manufacturing and construction are also major pollution sources.

Other greenhouse gasses emitted by natural and anthropogenic sources include methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gasses. Methane is a major emission from coal mines and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gasses, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gasses are often used instead of gasses such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer.

Global warming is making air pollution from natural sources worse. As the Earth has become hotter and drier, wildfires have become more frequent occurrences worldwide, bringing with them hazardous smoke. More areas are experiencing desertification, meaning they are turning into hot, dry deserts, which has resulted in sandstorms that send sand and dust into the air.

Most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from just a handful of regions. At the top of the list are China, the United States, India and the European Union (EU).

Regulation

Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to combat global warming by reducing or limiting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 nations. Each nation committed to work on adopting laws to reduce the air pollution they emit.

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new air quality guidelines to set stricter limits on the amount of air pollution people can safely be exposed to each year. The guidelines recommend limits for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide air pollutants. In 2021, the EU began revising its own air quality standards to align more closely with the WHO’s latest recommendations.

One method used by many countries to reduce emissions from industrial activity is called cap and trade. A cap, or limit, is placed on the amount of pollution a company is allowed to emit. Companies that exceed their cap must pay. Companies that pollute less than their cap can trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade essentially pays companies to limit their pollution. The EU, Mexico and the U.S. state of California all have cap-and-trade programs in effect.

India is also experimenting with a cost-based system designed to reduce particulate air pollution. In 2019, the state of Gujarat launched a pollution control market for trading in particulate matter emissions. Businesses that emit too much particulate matter must buy permits from those that emit less, making the heaviest polluters pay the most.

Reduction

Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution by making simple changes in their lives. Taking public transportation or riding a bike instead of traveling in gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Other air pollution reduction measures include taking fewer airplanes to travel, turning off lights when you do not need them, and eating less meat.

The Environmental Cost of Fashion

The clothing industry represents an important part of our economies, with a value of USD 1.3 trillion and employing over 300 million people along the value chain (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). In the last 20 years, global fibre production has almost doubled from 58 million tonnes in 2000 to 116 million tonnes in 2022, and is expected to continue to grow to 147 million tonnes in 2030 if business as usual continues (Textile Exchange 2023). While people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000, they only kept the clothes for half as long (McKinsey & Company, 2016).

While the fashion sector is booming, increasing attention has been brought to the impressive range of negative environmental impacts that the industry is responsible for. The fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 2-8 % of global carbon emissions.

What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.

Fast fashion also has a human cost: textile workers, primarly women in developing countries, are often paid derisory wages and forced to work long hours in appalling conditions (UNEP, 2018; WRI, 2019). In many places, these conditions create infringements on human rights (Human Rights Watch). Use of chemicals in clothes production also raise serious health concerns, both for the workers in the industry and consumers. Additional impacts on health also arise from the pollution described previously.

The environmental and social cost of the fashion industry forces us to rethink fast fashion, and stresses the need for more sustainable business models and practices. Resources hereunder provide additional information on the environmental impacts of fashion, and potential pathways for change.

Plastic in Textile

After the Second World War, the development of synthetic textiles, such as polyester and nylon, transformed the fashion industry. From only a few thousand tonnes in 1940, global consumption of synthetic fibres rose to more than 60 million tonnes in 2018. Since the late 1990s, polyester is the most commonly used fibre in textiles. The production of chemical fibers surpassed cotton production in the mid-1990s and has more than doubled in the last 20 years. In 2020, synthetic fibers accounted for approximately 64 percent of global fiber production.Today, an estimated 60% of clothing and 70 % of household textiles are made of synthetic fibres.

These plastic-based textiles have a significant impact on the environment and climate throughout their life cycle due to emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants. The textile sector is a growing contributor to the climate crisis, with about 1% of crude oil production used to produce synthetic fibres (European Environment Agency).

The fashion sector is also an important source of plastic leakage into the environment. The textile value chain is responsible for 9% of annual microfibre pollution to oceans (UNEP, 2021).

Consideration of the textile sector will thus be important for tackling the ongoing plastic crisis. Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental crises of our times, and efforts from various actors are underway to address it. This includes negotiations towards an international legally-binding agreement on plastic pollution, initiated by the resolution adopted at the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022. Learn more about the plastic pollution crisis, governance processes to address it and the work of Geneva-based organizations on the matter in our Plastics and the Environment series.

International Cooperation on Sustainable Fashion

As fashion value chains are globalized and the industry has a significant impact on the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), international cooperation is important to foster sustainable fashion.

Launched at the fourth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4), the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion is seeking to halt the environmentally and socially destructive practices of fashion. The Alliance is improving collaboration among UN agencies by analyzing their efforts in making fashion sustainable, identifying solutions and gaps in their actions, and presenting these findings to governments to trigger policy. Additionally, the Forests for Fashion Initiative, led by UNECE, FAO, and partners, supports innovative solutions in fashion through sustainable forests-based materials. Several other international organizations are working on global efforts to foster more sustainable fashion. Additional information on these initiatives can be found in the links below.

The Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action

Launched at COP24 in 2021, the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change serves as a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 within the textile, clothing and fashion industries.

Signatories and Supporting Organizations under the Charter work within Working Groups aiming to identify and amplify best practices, strengthen existing efforts, identify and address gaps, facilitate and strengthen collaboration among relevant stakeholders join resources and share tools to enable the sector to achieve its climate targets. More resources on Charter and related activities can be found here.

International Day of Zero Waste 2025

International Day of Zero Waste 2025 emphasizes the need for action in the fashion and textile sector to reduce waste and advance circular solutions. Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles.

The fashion and textile sector’s linear business model is fueling overproduction and overconsumption, contributing to the global waste pollution crisis. Textile production and consumption volumes are rapidly rising and increasing the impact of the sector, outpacing the progress made towards the sustainability of its products and practices. Globally, consumers lose about US$460 billion of value each year by throwing away clothes that could continue to be worn, and some garments are estimated to be discarded after just seven to 10 uses. Eleven per cent of plastic waste comes from clothing and textiles, making it third in line after packaging and consumer goods. Only 8 per cent of textile fibres in 2023 were made from recycled sources, with less than 1 per cent of the total fibre market coming from textile-to-textile recycling. A lack of fibre recycling practices is estimated to equate to an annual material value loss of more than US$100 billion. The fashion and textiles sector relies heavily on synthetic fibers produced from fossil fuels, which are shed into microplastics. Discarded clothing often ends up in the Global South, where inadequate waste management leads to dumping, burning, and severe environmental and social consequences. Poor communities bear the brunt, facing pollution and declining quality of life.

To celebrate the 2025 edition of International Day of Zero Waste, leading voices from Geneva and beyond who are joined the panel of this event highlighted steps taken to move forward the zero-waste agenda and key initiatives to reduce the waste impact from the fashion and textile sector, promoting sustainability and circularity. Geneva is a major global hub for the governance of hazardous substances and home to numerous international intergovernmental, non-governmental and business organizations aiming at reaching the zero-waste goal including in the fashion and textile sector.

World Cotton Day

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics used for clothes. Producing cotton sustains the livelihood of 28.67 million people and provides benefits to over 100 million families across the globe (WTO, 2020). Recognizing the critical role of cotton for economic development, international trade, and poverty alleviation, the UN General Assembly decided to proclaim World Cotton Day on 7 October (A/RES/75/318).

Cotton production can have consequent impacts on the planet due to the use of pesticides, high water consumption, and the conversion of habitat to agricultural use. Conventional production practices can result in soil erosion and degradation, water contamination, and other forms of pollution. Therefore, supporting sustainable models of cotton production is essential if we are to achieve the SDGs. Learn more about environmental sustainability in the cotton sector through the resources below.

2024 Celebration | Cotton for Good

On the fourth official UN World Cotton Day, under the theme “Cotton for Good”, the United Nations wants to raise visibility of the cotton sector and awareness of the critical role that it plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation. The observance also aims to highlight the importance of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Many actors in Geneva are involved in promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns in the cotton industry (see section below for details). This year’s official celebration takes place on 7 October in Cotonou, Benin, with the participation of Geneva actors such as the World Trade Organization, International Trade Centre, UN Conference on Trade and Development. This marks the first time WCD will be celebrated on the African Continent.

2023 Celebration | Making cotton fair and sustainable for all: from farm to fashion On the third official UN World Cotton Day, under the theme “Making cotton fair and sustainable for all: from farm to fashion”, the United Nations wants to raise visibility of the cotton sector and awareness of the critical role that it plays in economic development, international trade and poverty alleviation. The observance also aims to highlight the importance of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Many actors in Geneva are involved in promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns in the cotton industry (see section below for details). This year’s official celebration that took place on 4 October in Vienna had the participation of Geneva actors such as the World Trade Organization, International Trade Centre, UN Conference on Trade and Development, International Labour Organization, and Better Cotton Initiative.

The Role in Geneva

By alphabetical order

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world, aims to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.

Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention (BRS)

Through a Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Project, “Reducing uses and releases of chemicals of concern, including POPs, in the textiles sector” the Basel Convention is aiming to stir significant and documented reductions in use, releases, and exposure to chemicals of concern (CoCs) including POPs in the textiles sector in selected countries.

Impact Hub Geneva

As a start-up incubator, Impact Hub Geneva facilitates the connection in a creative space, supports entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs projects, advices and guides companies from various sectors, to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. As part of its work to raise awareness on the possibility of relying on more sustainable fashion and textiles and shopping resources, Impact Hub Geneva organized in November 2024 Circular Safaris on Fashion and Textile, guided tours across Geneva to rediscover sustainable solutions

International Labour Organization (ILO)

ILO promotes decent work in the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear sector through social dialogue, knowledge sharing, international labour standards, capacity building, partnerships and policy support.

International Trade Centre (ITC)

Through its Fibres, Textiles and Clothing team, the International Trade Centre (ITC) encourages small businesses to grow through sustainable practices. By providing training, coaching and research, ITC drives competitiveness while ensuring social and environmental responsibility. ITC therefore supports companies in ensuring their social and environmental performance.

ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative

EFI is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, which connects marginalized artisans from the developing world – the majority of them women – to international fashion houses for mutual benefit. EFI also hosts the Secretariat of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

UNECE’s work on trade in the textile and leather sector focuses on improving transparency and traceability in order to identify and address labor and human rights violations and environmental impacts while embracing more sustainable production and consumption patterns. UNECE also promotes sustainable innovation in the fashion sector through its work on sustainable forest products. As a global convening platform to support policy coherence and alignment across sectors, UNECE has a key role to play to support sustainability and traceability. Through consultation with hundreds of industry insiders and experts, UNECE has developed a UN-brokered toolbox to help garment and footwear makers to ensure the transparency and traceability of their value chain. The resulting initiative, called The Sustainability Pledge, encourages companies across the sector to announce their commitments to transparency and traceability.

UNECE also convenes the Forests4Fashion initiative, launched in 2014 to promote sustainable forest management beyond the forestry sector and encourage sustainable production and consumption in support of Sustainable Development Goal 12.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The UN Environment Programme’s work on sustainable and circular textiles applies a value-chain approach, which leads to changes at each stage in the value chain while involving players of all sizes and from all market segments. In order to develop a roadmap, UNEP conducted a Global Stocktaking. Updates on UNEP’s activities on this fastly-evolving topic are published and accessible on the One Planet Network platform.

United Nations Trade and Development

UN Trade and Development engages with circular economy and sustainable trade in the textile industry through research work and support to developing countries.

World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

The WBCSD supports business initiatives for circular economy and sustainable consumption and production, including in the fashion industry. The CTI Fashion Initiative brings together industry players to establish harmonized standards, metrics and best practices for circularity. Working together, we seek to unlock new avenues for value creation and operationalize circularity throughout the fashion and textile value chain.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Indigenous Peoples have a wealth of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) that can take different forms including, for example, traditional textiles, attire, ornaments, symbols, and designs. These TCEs are deeply connected to their history, beliefs, spirituality, cultural heritage, traditions, and importantly to their identity. TCEs held by Indigenous Peoples often inspire others, including fashion companies, who always seek creative input and fresh ideas. However, using elements of Indigenous Peoples’ TCEs without consent and in inappropriate ways, even unintentionally, can cause offense and harm to Indigenous Peoples.

WIPO aims to create opportunities for a dialogue between Indigenous Peoples and fashion companies to shape fair and equitable interaction between them.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

WTO conducted important work that changed the way in which textile and fashion is traded via the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), which ten-year transition period of implementation eliminated quotas on trade in textile and clothing products. Cotton is discussed at the WTO under two complementary tracks: 1) trade aspects, around the multilateral negotiations to address distorting subsidies and trade barriers for cotton; and 2) development assistance provided to cotton production and its value chain. These two tracks reflect the clear linkages and possible synergies between cotton trade and development assistance in a number of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) Members, impacting millions of people worldwide.

UN system’s engagement is larger than the Geneva-based organizations presented here. Members of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion also include UNDP, UNEP, UN Global Compact, UNFCCC and UNOPS.

What Can I Do?

While international organizations, governments and businesses work on solutions to shift the fashion industry toward a more sustainable pathway, consumers can also play a role with their daily actions. This section provides resources on the actions individuals can take to support sustainability in their apparel choices.

GEN Events

Links

Further resources and events to learn about environmental sustainability in the fashion industry are provided below. This page is regularly updated.

Resources by UNEP

About 46 million Americans (15% of the population) live in rural areas, where health care may be hard to access and residents are more likely to be uninsured. [5], [6]

Certain groups are more vulnerable than others to the health impacts of climate change due to social and economic factors like income, education, health care access, and housing. Such factors can affect people’s ability to prepare for and cope with climate hazards. Socially vulnerable groups in the United States include communities of color, low-income groups, certain immigrant groups, and those with limited English proficiency.1 These groups may be more at risk because:

They may live in locations that are prone to climate-related health hazards, such as flooding, extreme heat, and air pollution. 2

that are prone to climate-related health hazards, such as flooding, extreme heat, and air pollution. They can have greater rates of existing medical conditions , such as physical disabilities, poor mental health, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, which can be worsened by climate change impacts. 3

, such as physical disabilities, poor mental health, kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, which can be worsened by climate change impacts. They may live in urban and rural areas with poorly maintained or aging infrastructure that may not be able to handle climate-related events. Such infrastructure can include buildings, utilities, and transportation and health care systems. Individuals in these communities may also struggle to access resources and care during and after extreme weather events. 4

that may not be able to handle climate-related events. Such infrastructure can include buildings, utilities, and transportation and health care systems. Individuals in these communities may also struggle to access during and after extreme weather events. They may have limited financial resources or cultural, language, or citizenship barriers that restrict their access to health care, social services, and safe, nutritious food.

On this page:

Key Threats to the Health of Socially Vulnerable People

A number of climate-related hazards threaten the health of socially vulnerable people in the United States. Below are some examples of the potential health impacts of these hazards.

Heat Illnesses

Hispanics make up 19 percent of the workforce, but hold nearly half of all construction and agriculture jobs. These occupations put them at higher risk for heat exposure. [12]

Heat illnesses can occur when a person is exposed to high temperatures and their body cannot cool down. Increases in average and extreme temperatures and heat waves are expected to lead to more heat illnesses and deaths among vulnerable groups, including certain socially vulnerable groups.8 These include low-income households, communities of color, those experiencing homelessness, and immigrant populations.9

Many of these groups live in urban areas that are prone to extreme heat (urban heat islands).10 Some may also live in housing that does not have adequate insulation or cooling. Others may not be able to afford air conditioning.11

Respiratory Illnesses

Climate change may lead to more outdoor air pollutants, including particulate matter and ground-level ozone. These pollutants can affect some socially vulnerable people, such as those living in cities with high air pollution levels or those with limited access to measures to reduce their exposure.13, 14

In 2021, the asthma mortality rate was more than two times higher for Black and African American individuals than for white individuals. [20]

Socially vulnerable groups are often more sensitive to air pollutants because they have more exposures and higher rates of underlying medical conditions.15 As a result, they are at a higher risk for developing severe illnesses, needing to go to a hospital, or prematurely dying.16

In addition, climate change can increase allergens like pollen that can trigger or worsen asthma. Data show the ragweed pollen season is already becoming longer in some U.S. locations.17 Asthma is more common among some communities of color and low-income households than the general population.18

Dust from agriculture and droughts can also affect individuals in rural communities. Wildfire smoke can be a hazard in both urban and rural areas. Low-income individuals who live in buildings that are older or in poor condition can be exposed to damp indoor environments. Dampness can increase mold, bacteria, and other indoor air pollutants, especially after floods and extreme weather events.19 Lower-income households may lack the resources to buy air cleaners that can help reduce some of these pollutants.

Water-Related Illnesses

Climate change will impact water resources in many ways. For example, changes in water and air temperatures, heavier and longer rains, flooding, and rising sea levels can introduce disease-carrying organisms into drinking water supplies and recreational waters.21 In both urban and rural low-income areas, water resources—such as sewer, stormwater, and drinking water systems—may be old or not able to withstand climate impacts such as storm surge and heavy rains. As a result, these areas can be more vulnerable to water quality issues.22

Low-income households near floodplains can also be more exposed to water pollutants, particularly due to sea level rise, heavy rainfall, or extreme weather events.23 They may also have higher flood insurance costs and more difficulty getting insurance.24

Overlapping Vulnerabilities Certain people may be part of other groups vulnerable to climate change. This can increase their health risks. For example, an older adult with a limited income and mobility issues may have trouble getting to a safe place during a heat wave. Some immigrants, communities of color, and low-income individuals may also have higher rates of chronic medical conditions that can be worsened by climate change impacts.7

Food System Impacts

Climate-related hazards—especially floods, wildfires, and droughts—could affect food production and distribution. These issues, in turn, could impact food quality and availability.25

Some communities of color and low-income populations already struggle to get nutritious food due to limited finances and access to grocery stores with good-quality, affordable options.26 Climate-related food shortages and supply chain issues could make it even more difficult for people to get healthy food.27

Insect-Related Diseases

Warmer temperatures brought on by a changing climate can increase mosquito development and biting rates. Increased rainfall or standing water from sea level rise can also create more breeding sites for mosquitoes.28

Higher incidences of West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, have been linked to poverty in the Southeast and urban locations in the Northeast.29 While most people infected with West Nile virus do not feel ill, some develop more severe sicknesses.30

People living in areas prone to extreme weather are at more risk of suffering stress reactions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. [33]

Mental Health Effects

As the climate changes, conditions are becoming more favorable to more extreme weather.31 Certain communities of color, lower-income individuals, rural populations, and immigrant groups are more likely to experience mental health effects from such events.

These groups may already face barriers to getting mental health care, counseling in native languages, and medication. Extreme weather can disrupt access to mental health care even further, which can cause or worsen mental health effects.32