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LAND DEGRADATION ON RISE
- Article from:
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US Fed News Service, Including US State News
- Article date:
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July 2, 2008
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The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization issued the following news release:
Land degradation is intensifying in many parts of the world, according to a study using data taken over a 20-year period, FAO announced this week.
Defined as a long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, land degradation is increasing in severity and extent in many parts of the world, with more than 20 percent of all cultivated areas, 30 percent of forests and 10 percent of grasslands undergoing degradation.
An estimated 1.5 billion people, or a quarter of the world's population, depend directly on land that is being degraded.
The consequences of land degradation include reduced ...