The Convention offers new hope in the struggle against desertification. Over the past two decades, the problem of land degradation in dryland regions has continued to worsen. The Convention promotes a fresh new approach to managing dryland ecosystems and -- just as important -- to managing development aid flows.

Desertification is caused by climate variability and human activities. In the past, drylands recovered easily following long droughts and dry periods. Under modern conditions, however, they tend to lose their biological and economic productivity quickly unless they are managed in a sustainable manner. Today drylands on every continent are being degraded by overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices. Such overexploitation is generally caused by economic and social pressure, ignorance, war, and drought.

The Convention to Combat Desertification will be implemented through action programmes. These programmes are the core of the Convention. At the national level, they will address the underlying causes of desertification and drought and identify measures to prevent and reverse it. National programmes will be complemented by subregional and regional programmes, particularly when transboundary resources such as lakes and rivers are involved. Action programmes are detailed in the four regional implementation annexes to the Convention -- Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Northern Mediterranean.

The Convention Secretariat based in Bonn was established to assist the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INCD) in the negotiation of the Convention and preparing for the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP).