Minister Dion George commemorates of Desertification and Drought Day

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, led this year’s commemoration of Desertification and Drought Day (DDD) on 17 June 2025, under the theme Restore the Land, Unlock the Opportunities, where he urged all South Africans to protect the land to secure food, water and energy for all.

“Land degradation, desertification, drought, and water scarcity are not just local complexities but global crises. South Africa’s G20 Presidency’s prioritisation of these issues highlights their direct threat to economies, food security, and sustainable development,” said Minister George. “Together, we can protect our environment and unlock sustainable opportunities for generations to come.”

The Minister was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Bernice Swarts, provincial, local and traditional leaders, to show support for the day’s activities. Held in Mphanama village, Sekhukhune District Municipality, Limpopo, a region that exemplifies both the complexities and the opportunities of land restoration in South Africa. Desertification and Drought Day is an annual event to promote public awareness of local and international efforts to combat desertification.

Minister George said that the Limpopo Province faces serious environmental issues that threaten food security and water availability, thus undermining livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities. These complexities, he added, require decisive, integrated, and innovative responses.

Minister George handed over projects to showcase community-driven and science-based solutions aimed at preventing desertification and mitigating the effects of drought and land degradation.
These projects include:

• The Fetakgomo Land Rehabilitation Project in Ga-Matji Village was funded through the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE) Environmental Programmes. The project aimed to improve grazing land for livestock through fencing, restoration and rehabilitation of 70 hectares of degraded land. A total number of 137 temporary job opportunities (55 women, 79 youth and three people with disability) were created for the duration of two years.

• The DFFE, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is implementing the Global Environment Facility Sustainable Land Management Project titled: “Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management (SLM) for Large-Scale Impact in the Grazing Lands of Limpopo and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa.” Through this project, 45 temporary employment opportunities were created for women, youth and persons with disabilities for a period of 12 months with effect from June 2025. Two boreholes were handed over to the community of Mphanama village.

• DFFE in partnership with the Global Mechanism of the United Nations to Convention Combat Desertification based in Bonn-Germany, launched the Greening Drylands Partnership (GDP) Pilot project. This project aims to promote synergies between ecosystem restoration of degraded lands, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation and is linked to the presidential commitments on 10 Million Trees Programme. A total of 3700 fruit trees were donated to all 37 traditional leaders under the Fetakgomo Local Municipality.

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), South Africa remains committed to global efforts aimed at addressing desertification, land degradation and drought.

Enquiries:
Thobile Zulu-Molobi
Cell: +27 82 513 7154
E-mail: tmolobi@dffe.gov.za

Chelsey Wilken
Cell: 074 470 5996
E-mail: cwilken@dffe.gov.za

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