Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Canada’s decision to leave the UNCCD has left the Convention’s chief bemused and disappointed.

Canada informed the UN it would be quitting in March, citing the small percentage of funds devoted to development projects.

In an interview with RTCC Gnacadja said it was a concern that others might try to leave as well – but said the fight against land degradation was too important to be abandoned.

“The world will be more unstable. If you map crises and instability in the world, you will see that more than eight out of 10 armed conflicts in the world are occurring in drylands,” he said.

“If we mean peace we mean stability, which will be much needed for a globalised world. For every country to continue striving, we need to fix those issues.

“Not just by sending armed forces, because they won’t fix it in a sustainable manner, but addressing the root causes – competition around vital resources – water and productive land.

“Sometimes these start around water well, and then religious and political considerations come as compounding factors. The world needs to understand that.”