The Global Deserts Outlook is the first thematic assessment
report in the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A UNEP
contribution to the International Year of Deserts and
Desertification in 2006, the report aims to help raise
global public awareness of the state of the world’s
deserts.
The Global Deserts Outlook presents a panorama of the
environmental status of the world’s deserts: their location
and extent, uniqueness and vulnerability, biodiversity
and natural resources. The report provides a
balanced picture of deserts as ecosystems which
form a special part of the world’s natural
and cultural heritage, and not simply as
land that is the end result of the process
of desertification. Few places on earth
contain a richer collection of natural
adaptations to the environment. Readers are challenged to
consider the development
potential of deserts and their
conservation needs, to explore
what would be the most appropriate
and sustainable livelihoods for people
living in desert areas. Deserts do not
have much water, but they do have other
natural resources. The knowledge and
technology exist to manage these resources
sustainably; the challenge lies with determining
and implementing appropriate actions for
desirable long-term outcomes. |