26 july 1991

32nd plenary meeting

Combating aridity, soil erosion, salinity, water-logging, desertification and the effects of drought in South Asia

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 44/172 of 19 December 1989, in which the imperative need to address desertification in the framework of the interdependence of nations was stressed,

Aware that South Asia, one of the most populous regions in the world, contains significant areas subject to aridity, soil erosion, salinity, water-logging, desertification and the effects of drought, which affect the lives of millions of peoples and the entire environment of the region,

Bearing in mind the work already undertaken on desertification and drought in South Asia by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other agencies,

Noting that no comprehensive assessment has been made of this problem in the region,

1. Requests the Secretary-General, in close collaboration with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and other international and national development assistance organizations, to undertake a study, within existing resources, to assess the extent of this problem and its effects on the peoples of the region, and to provide a framework for national and international cooperative efforts, through appropriate existing United Nations organizations, donor and international development institutions and national organizations and programmes, to tackle this problem in its physical and human dimension, and to submit the study to the Economic and Social Council in 1992;

2. Appeals to the international community to provide expertise and assistance to further national efforts, in the South Asian countries concerned, to take concrete action to ameliorate the situation.