DDC in Africa
Forty three percent of land area in Africa falls within the drylands. It is estimated that 45 percent of the population or approximately 325 million people in Africa live in these areas. Many African countries suffer from desertification and frequent reoccurrence of drought. Many are among the least developed group as classified by the United Nations with a low to medium Human Development Index.
The drylands populations in these countries rely heavily on natural resources for subsistence, which, when compounded by demographic trends, a weak technological base, and unsustainable production practices contribute to land degradation. Many African countries suffer from weak institutional and legal frameworks and lack the capacity to deal with the problems of desertification and drought. In recognition of the extent of the problems of desertification and drought in Africa the Convention to Combat Desertification gives priority to the region. In response the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 adopted a resolution on urgent action for Africa in which it called upon all affected countries in the region to embark on developing national and sub-regional action programmes. This resolution also called upon developed countries to provide support to affected countries, including capacity building support. Furthermore, it called upon all multilateral organizations, particularly UNDP and UNSO (now the Drylands Development Centre) and other United Nations agencies to provide support and mobilize necessary funding for the implementation of this resolution.
The bulk of resources mobilized by UNDP have gone towards supporting African countries in the preparation of National and Sub-regional Action Plans/Programmes for the implementation of the Convention. Many of these countries have now adopted or are in the process of adopting their action programmes. Click here to access a table that provides summary information on UNDP's support to countries in this region and the results of this support in each country.
For more information on the other regions that we cover, click on any of the links below:
