Land degradation is about people. People cause and suffer from it. Unsustainable land management practices caused by either inadequate techniques or increasing population pressure will enhance degradation of land especially in susceptible drylands. UNEP, being one of two United Nations agencies headquartered in Africa, has witnessed the consequences first hand. Environmental refugees, who flee the miserable conditions created by the vicious cycle of unfertile land, droughts, decreasing production and subsequent over-use of land, are the first victims of desertification.
Equivalent numbers account for Asia and South America.
Desertification affects in total, the lives of one-sixth of the world's population. Climate change could have a crucial impact on land degradation. Since the drylands are already hot and dry, they would be particularly vulnerable to any future reduction in rainfall or increase in temperature. As a result, many of the world's drylands are expected to suffer more from drought due to global warming. The serious impact of climate change as well as the close link of global trade in agricultural commodities and land degradation unequivocally demonstrate the global character of the problem.