"Desertification is defined as the persistent degradation of land ecosystems by human activities such as unsustainable farming, mining, overgrazing, cutting down forests, and climate change.
The world's deserts are growing
Drought has been labelled “the silent killer”. Each year, an area of fertile soil the size of New Mexico or Poland is swallowed by desserts and made useless for farming. Often in areas where people are already starving. Growing deserts are threatening an area larger than the combined area of the US, India, China and Russia (40 million square kilometers).
By 2025, 1.8 billion people will experience absolute water scarcity, and 2/3 of the world will be living under water-stressed conditions.
By 2045, 135 million people could be displaced as a result of desertification.
Over 75% of the Earth's land area is already degraded, and over 90% could become degraded by 2050."