To mark the World Day to Combat Desertification, an event promoted by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has been organised at EXPO Milan 2015 with the support of Italian Development Cooperation. The event will take place in the Conference Centre at 11.10 on 17 June.
This year, the slogan for the World Day is “No such thing as a free lunch. Invest in healthy soil”. The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the problems linked to desertification and to land improvement and food security, and to promote good practice to reduce land-degradation.
Opening speaker will be Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD. Other speakers include Giampaolo Cantini, Director General for Development Cooperation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; and Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General for Natural Resources at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Environmental journalist Mario Tozzi and photographer Andrea Borgallelo will present the reportage on the Great Green Wall in Senegal and the presentations will close with a performance by Titi and his band, Baribangass.
The arid zones cluster at EXPO 2015 will also be illustrating solutions to combat desertification through rainwater collection and the integrated management of water resources.
Journalists, photographers and TV crews interested in following the event must be accredited with EXPO and inform the Directorate General for Development Cooperation via dgcs.eventi@esteri.it.
